







••■-•• *=. / 



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THE u?irry?jRsiTy of Chicago 



TlIE Di:CENNlAL PUBUCATIQNS 



PHYSICAIw CHARACTERS OF INDIANS OF 
SOUTHERN MEXICO 

■by". 
PI^EDEHICK '$TABR 



The Decennial Publications 

FIRST bliUlKS 

Two \oJuiues of IIepobts utid eigl^t volumob of ]^^ iui.n(,\Ti(>Ns, tb« lattei coni.istii.f,' of a coUec- 
tiou of <irtioli'H icpiKM atip„' tL^u uoik .jf icwuvli of the luvriial liopaitiuent^ of t]u> (^uivfr- 
hlty. t?l4e, quaito, 

VoLUMB J, The PiesuieiiC'i Reuort A. Ailiiiiinitrritiou. 

VotCME 11 TlipPjo^itlent'S I\epoit. B. PublicitioiL's of the Membei* of the Umversit} 

VoLUMJi in. Past 1, -- S_\hU'iiiat)o Tkix)log^, Chiijch flMory, Pi.ictual 1 heqlogy. 

I'ast 2. --l*hilu,ic)i>hy, Eilucatiou, . 

Volume IV PohMt'iil tcouomy, Pohtu-al Scimici , ^iisloiv, Sycivjlo<.'y, 

Volume V. Semitic lj.uif,'UHgcR .nid Litcialuu-h, Bihlicil and Patiiatic Greek foi iparative 
lit hf,'ioii 

VoLL'MK \ I Groek Ltm^'uago and LUjjr^itiire, Latin L.in-rddgo and Litemture, Sanskrit and 
Indq-Eiiiopfau C<>niparativtj Philology, Chibiicd Archoyoloijyi 

VoLOME VII. Uomaaco Language-) and Litt.ratiirr&, Gi iinauic Languages and J itoratuu'fc, 
Englihh, Liti'i.itiuc m Engli-^h. ' , " 

Volume, VIH Astronomy and Aatiopiiy&ics. 

VoLUWE. 1\, MathiMuatit^, Ph)ML>, Cht-ini^ti \, Gt\>[ogy. 

VoLUMU X. ZoOjogy, Auatoujy, Physiolugy, Ntnuology, Tiot.iny, Patholpgy, Biwtenology. 

Sl'X'OND SEKIES 

A sentM of \oliimi'.H era}3odMiio original i^-oarch, cou iitiug nf sv-ilxnidti • tuMtibth luipubU-jhtid 
documents, and tho hte Size, octavo. 



The bfi'ies a« a nhole vull hf i^^md ko.nc ajln J.iuiiari/ J JlWo 'Die s^para'u ailichs con- 
stituting llie Iiivt'»itiii.(liur,t,, hoin,ver, and the olamts i>f ttio Second SLrii.■^, uUi be pub- 
Ithhed ai eaou as nady 



THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 

FOUNDED BY JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER 



Tin: Decennial Publications 



THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERS OF THE INDIANS 
OF SOUTHERN MEXICO 

BY 

FREDERICK STARR 

ASSOCIATE I'ROFESSOR OF ANTIIROPOL.OGV 



PRINTED FROM VOLUME IV 



CHICAGO 

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS 

1902 






THF LIBRARY OF 

CONOBESS, 
T'vn Cooies Recsivto 

OCT. n ?S82 

nnovainMT wttTtrf 

Ct JSsWt'XXo No, 
COPV 'g. 



Copi/ri(jlit 1902 
BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 



J '2.^' 



PRINTED AUGUST I. 1902 



DecICNN lAL PriU, It ATIONS. IV 



Plate I 




23 24 



COLOR-CHART FOR SO U T H - M E X I C A N INDIANS 



THE PHYSICAL ( HARAC I MRS OF IHE INDIANS OF 
SOUTHERN MEXKO 

Frederick Starr 

In the summer of 1895, the casual meeting with a group of Mixe Indians, at 
Mitla, greatly aroused (jur interest. Having occasion, six months later, to visit (Juate- 
mala, we determined t<j make the journey from Oaxaca to the city of (luatemala by 
horse through the Mixe country, in order that we might see more of these interesting, 
but little known, Indians. Passing, in that journey, through the territories of a dozen 
ditt'erent tribes, we were profoundly impressed by the physical ditferences which the 
Indians of tlicse triln's prcscutcd. Linguistic differences among the Indians of the 
Isthmian gmup have long since been admitted. Our earliest field-study in Mexican 
archaeology had already impressed upon us the necessity of differentiating the ancient 
cultures of Mexico — not one uniform Aztec art presents itself for study, hut a number 
of distinct cultures. In the physical ty])es we now saw a third line of Udtaiile differ- 
ences between Mexican p<i|iulations and one which appeared to be as deserving of 
study as either of the otlu is. We believed that the three lines of variation — lin- 
guistic, arclneological, somatic — should have a common explanation, that all were 
related, and that all were important in questions of origin, development, and relation- 
ship. Accordingly, in the course of that journey, the plan of stntly of whii-li this 
pajjer is the report took form. 

Tliree sorts of investigation have been pursued in order to define the physical 
types of these tribes. Measurements have been made, photographs have been taken, 
and plaster busts have been nioldetl. Twenty-three tribes have been examined. It 
was plainied to measure one hundred men and twenty-five women in each tribe. 
Fourteen measurements were taken iipon each subject, the list of measurements being 
that used by Dr. Franz Boas in his World's Columbian Exposition investigation of the 
tribes of the Ignited States. If we had made the number indicated, in every tribe, we 
should have measured a total of 2,875 persons; we actually measured 2,847. One 
hundred does not make a large series; it is, however, more than are contained in four- 
fifths of the series accessible to anthropologists, and is a large enough number to give 
weight to the results secured. Deniker, in TItc Rdcctt of Man, quotes series of twenty- 
five or more. We have taken this number, as a minimum of utility, as the limit for 
our series of women. Characters of race are better marked in men than in women; 
women df all tribes are, therefore, more alike tlian tlie men: it is more difficult to 
secure Women for measurement than men ; when secured, they are less easily measured, 
on account of stubbornness, stupidity, or fear. These are the reasons why a less 
nund)er of female than of male suV)j(>cts was demanded. 



4 Physical Chaeactees of Indians of Southeen Mexico 

Our second method of investigation was by photography. As the 125 subjects 
passed through our hands for measurement, we selected those which seemed to best 
present the tribal type for photographing. Usually none were selected until enough 
subjects had been measured and examined for a clear idea of the type to be present in 
our mind. Front and side views wei'e made of each person photographed. Approxi- 
mately six hundred negatives of this sort were taken. A considerable selection from 
these has already been published, under the title Indians of Southern Mexico: an 
Ethnographic Album. Besides portraits to show the physical types, this work con- 
tains many views of villages, buildings, groups, industries, etc., etc. The second and 
final volume of this album is now ready for the engraver. From among the portrait 
negatives we have selected sixty of the most characteristic ; they represent twenty -three 
males and seven females, front and side view of each ; the twenty-three males included 
one representative of each tribe. From these negatives a series of life-size platinum- 
paper prints has been made, of the exact size of life, for museum use. Only fifty sets 
of these most life-like portraits are to be published. The reduced half-tone engravings 
with which this paper is illustrated were made from these same negatives. 

Five busts were to be made in each tribe. Molds were made directly upon the 
subject, and a first (pattern) bust was run before we left the town where the investiga- 
tion was going on. The mold was chipped away and the bust carried with us. After 
returning home these busts were placed, together with the photographs of the same 
subjects, in the hands of a competent and conscientious artist, who carefully repaired 
breakages or imperfections, opened the eyes, and put on the hair. The series of busts 
absolutely made overran one hundred, but it has been reduced to exactly one hundred 
by eliminating the less desirable. All the tribes are represented in this series by 
from two to five subjects. Four sets only of these busts are to he run, and it is 
expected that they will be located in as many different countries.' 

The tribes visited live in the states of Mexico, Michoacan, Hidalgo, Puebla, 
Tlaxcala, Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Yucatan. The list, in the order visited, is: 
1, Otomis; 2, Tarascans; 3, Tlaxcalaus; 4, Aztecs; 5, Mixtecs; C, Triquis; 7, Zapo- 
tecs (Mitla); 8, Mixes; 1), Zapotecs (Tehuantepec) ; 10, Juaves; 11, Chontals; 12, 
Cuicatecs; 13, Chinantecs; 14, Chochos; 15, Mazatecs; 10, Tepehuas; 17, Totonacs; 
18, Huaxtecs; 19, Mayas; 20, Zoques; 21, Tzotzils; 22, Tzendals, 23, Chols. The 
location of these tribes is shown upon the accompanying map, their areas being num- 
bered to correspond with those in the list. 

.The only basis of classification of Mexican Indians has been the linguistic. We 
have naturally been interested in seeing how far the relationships indicated by language 
harmonized with the evidence of physical characters. The agreement was hardly so 
strong as was anticipated. Where results of interest seem to be brought out, we tabu- 

1 Our expeditions were limited to about three months Godinez, plaster-workers in the field ; Aug. Hubert, mod- 
in each of tour years: 1898, 1899,' 1900, 1901. My helpers eler; Alvin G. Synnberg, engraver ; Manuel Gonzales, field- 
were Bedros Tatarian, Charles B. Lang, and Louis Grabic, helper ; William L. Koehne, photographer in the studio, 
photographers in the field : Anselmo Pacheco and Eamon To all our thanks are due and hereby given. 

54 



Fredebick Starr 



lato the dnta regarding linguistically related tribes. It may be well to indicate here 
the linguistic affinities of our tribes. The latest important work upon the Mexican 
languages is Dr. Nicholas Leon's Linguistic Fcunilics of Mexico. According to it, 
the twenty-three tribes in question are grouped as follows: 

Xiihuatlau Family: Aztecs, Tlaxealans, Chontals(?). 

Taniscan Family: Tarascans. 

Zo<[ueau Family: Zoques, Mixes. 

Totoiiacan Family: Totonacs. 

Zajxitecau Family: Zapotecs, Cuicitecs, C'hochos, Mazatecs, Triquis, Choutalsl ?), Tcliuaii- 
teijecanos, Afixtecs. 

Othomiaii Family: Otomis. 

Mayan Family: Mayas, Huaxtecs, Tzendals, Tzotzils, Chols. 

Hviaviau Family: Juaves. 

Chiuautecau Family: Chinantecs. 

The Tepehuas, whom Oiozco y Berra leaves unclassifi«l. are not mentioned l>y Dr. Leon. 
They live in several ullages in the ref,'ion where the states of Hidalgo and Vera Cruz come 
together. Some data relative to them may ])e found in our Notes on ttie Etiinoyrapliy of 
Southern Mexico, pp. 83 fi (ivprintfd from the Proceedings Davenport Acaclenii/ of Sciences, 
Vol. VIII, 1900). They ju-cscnt much of interest, and wo hope to jirint further regarding tliem. 



Before presenting the actual results of our study some brief statements of method 
and generalizations are necessary. Stature, shouldei'-height, and height of second 
finger-tip (the arms hanging at the sides, with the hands open) were taken in rapid 
succession, to prevent change of position on the part of the subject. When, as hap- 
pened rarely, the subject was not barefoot, the height of the heel of the shoe was 
measured and subtracted from all the measures into which it entered. The shoulder- 
width was the bi-acromial measure Twc. face-heights were taken: one was from the 
line of hair and forehead to the cliiu, the other from the nasion — or the external 
point corresponding to it — to the chin. 

In South Mexican Indians the hair is usually coarse, straight, and black. This 



6 Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 

is true of all tribes. There is, however, a little individual variation in form and color 
in some tribes ; such are mentioned in the descriptions of tribes. The graying of 
hair, with advancing age, varies considerably with tribes ; in some it is rare, in others 
rather common. Thinning of hair on the top of the head, as age advances, occurs in 
few tribes. A slight degree of waviness or curliness is sometimes to be seen, but only 
in one tribe, the Chontals, was it strikingly frequent. All these variations in hair 
growth or color are interesting, and show racial diffei-ences or indicate mixture of 
bloods. The growth and distribution of the beard is strikingly constant, though 
occasional tribal differences can be made out. Usually, the growth on the upper 
cheeks is scanty, scattered, and well forward ; on the lower cheeks, none ; on the 
chin, it varies from scanty to medium, but is apt to be localized upon the tip of the 
chin ; the moustache is the heaviest part of the beard, and the first to appear. To 
economize space we summarize the descriptions of beai-d growth, in the tribal accounts, 
after a sort of formula, which applies to upper cheeks, lower cheeks, chin ; moustache. 
The beard, but more particularly the moustache, is often lighter than the head-hair, 
being brown, or light brown, while the head-hair is black ; the beard also, especially 
the moustache, grays relatively early, and may be gray, or even white, before there is 
even a sprinkling of gray hairs upon the head. 

The eyes of Mexican Indians, like those of our own Indians, are generally of 
a brown so dark as to be almost black. In the matter of eye color there is little 
variation. Sometimes a little fading takes place with age, and brown or light brown 
eyes are more common in old persons than in others. Apparently "oblique" eyes, 
like those of the Chinese, are frequent in some tribes, but are not universal in any ; a 
less degree of obliquity, which in our records is designated as -J-mongoloid, or -j-mon- 
goloid, occurs quite commonly in some tribes where no true cases of obliquity were 
noted ; in one or two tribes there was observed a tendency to the opposite condition — 
/. c, a slight obliquity, in which the outer corner of the eye seemed lower than the 
inner ; in several tribes the eyes appear horizontal, and no cases, even of slight 
obliquity, occurred. In nearly all the tribes the eyes are widely separated, and in 
none were they notably close together. 

We need not comment at length upon the descriptive characters of the nose, lip, 
and ear. We may merely remark that the ears are of medium size and rather uniform, 
and that they rarely present those stigmata of degeneracy of which so much study 
has been made. They are usually well shaped and project but little from the head. 
The lobe is usually of fair size and well formed, though it is usually more or less 
attached. 

In recording skin color we used the little book prepared by Dr. Boas in 1892. 
This was withdrawn before his investigation ended, but having no better series we 
have continued to employ it. Only seven of its colors occur, with any frequency, 
among our Mexican tribes, and these we have reproduced in the accompanying color- 
chart, where their original reference numbers are retained. Of course, no Indian ever 

56 



Fbederick Starr 



presents a single, simple, dead color, such as are here given : these are foundation 
colors, which are livened up with tints of red or yellow. There is a nestable variety 
of color among these tribes. 

The records regarding the number (if cliildren bdrne are biliiw the icalitv. 
Records were made for all women who have had children, even for vnung mothei-s wlm 
had their first infant in their arms. Unmarried women below twintv-five are not 
recorded : women above twenty-five, but unmarried, are so recorded : married women 
without children, more than twenty-tive years of age, are r(>corded as barren. 

No serious attempt was made to secure information regarding kinds of diseases 
or their frequency. Such diseases, however, as piiiio, goitre, cataract, and such results 
of disease as pock-marking were generally recorded. In regard to pinio ami goitre 
the records probably give some idea of their actual frequency. 

We may first examine some general tables, wherein measurements or indices fnmi 
the diffi-rent tribes are compared, and then we may consider the data regarding each 
tribe in detail : 

TABLE I. STATURE 



m 



i^s. 



100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
ICX) 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
80 
100 
100 
1(X) 
100 



10(3 Mazatecs 

99 Triquis 

1(X) ' Mayas 

100 j Tzendals 

ItX) j Chols 

Tzotzils 

Tepehua.s 

Mi.xtec.s 

Chochos 

Cuicatecs 

Hua.^tecs 

Totonacs 

Mixes 

Chinantecs 

Otomis 

Zapotecs(Mitla) . 

Aztecs 

Chontals 

Juave.s 

Zoques 

Tarawcan.s 

Tlascalans 

Zapotecs (Teh.). , 



,551.. 3 
,551.4 
,552.4 
,557.1 
,557.9 
,559.0 
,5.59.7 
,561.3 
,562.2 
,562.. S 
,570. .3 
,57.3.4 
,574.4 
,.575.8 
,579.7 
,586.4 
,590.2 
598.0 
,599.6 
,600.0 
,600.4 
,603.4 
,605.0 



1,664 
1,679 
1,675 
1,722 
1,686 
1,669 
1,685 
1,7.55 
1,684 
1,7.36 
1,693 
1,669 
1,714 
1,700 
1,718 
1,772 
1,776 
1,768 
1,7,33 
1,766 
1,718 
1,787 
1,730 



1,4.33 
1,.351 
1,452 
1,403 
1,436 
1,445 
1,470 
1,421 
1,4.37 
1,.365 
1,413 
1,488 
1,5.53 
1,4.30 
1,421 
1,432 
1,465 
1,.391 
1,473 
1,442 
1,450 
1,493 
1,476 



2.32 
,329 
224 
320 
251 
225 
.216 
.335 
248 



10 
17 
16 
18 
25 
19 
14 
25 
17 



,372 


77 


17 


281 


71 


19 


182 


73 


22 


162 


70 


21 


271 


69 


23 


298 


-53 


.35 


.341 


58 


.32 


312 


53 


29 


.378 


60 


26 


261 


55 


26 


.325 


49 


36 


269 


49 


33 


295 


43 


.36 


255 


48 


.32 



As shown by the table, nineteen of thes 
below 1,000mm.; four are "below mean"' —I. 



tribes are of "little statures" — i.e.. 
,, from i,GOO to l,()oO mm. Even the 



8 Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 

tallest tribes of all, the Zapotecs of Tehuantepec, are only in the lowest part of this 
group. No tribe, as a tribe, presents a mean stature "above mean," and the greatest 
number of "tall" individuals in any tribe is only four. The two shortest tribes, 
Mazatecs and Triquis, are linguistic relations ; they are, however, linguistically related 
to the Tehuantepecanos, who are the tallest of the whole list. The actual differences 
in these statures is considerable, 53.7 mm., or something like 2^- inches. The sex 
difference in stature is notable. Deniker, supporting himself upon Topinard, states 
the usual sexual difference for mankind to be 12 cm., with a range of 7 cm. to 13 cm. 
Taking our trilies in the order of the table we find the difference in mean statures for 
the two sexes to be as follows: 98.6, 126.1, 137.2, 118.7, 11-4.9. 117.7, 124.3. 93.4, 128.8, 
112.3, 97.6, 142.9, 116.0, 177.0, 124.0, 107.0, 128.4, 117.4, 136.6, 125.2, lls.6. 119.8, 
95.6. The average of these differences is 122.09, showing that the women in these 
tribes are really shorter than the men in an unusual degree. The (tcfiidl difference is 
small, but even small differences in means are significant. It will also be noticed that 
no case nearly approaches Topinard's minimum difference of 7 cm. (70mm.), the 
smallest difference in our list being 93.4; there are also five cases — 137.2, 144.9, 
142.9, 177.0, and 136.6 — which surpass his maximum difference of 13cm. (130mm.). 
A final observation of interest in regard to stature is that children, in most of the 
tribes, are often larger than their parents ; this may indicate a recent improvement in 
food-supply or mode of life. 

table II. arm index 



Mean 


Extremes 


Range 


o 


Mux. 


Min. 


44.6 


48.7 


40.6 


8.2 


100 


44.8 


47.7 


38.0 


9.8 


100 


45.0 


49.3 


41.2 


8.2 


100 


45.0 


49.6 


40.8 


8.9 


100 


45.1 


47.9 


40.5 


7.5 


100 


45.1 


48.8 


39.2 


9.7 


80 


45.1 


47.5 


40.2 


7.4 


100 


45.2 


46.7 


40.2 


6.6 


99 


45.3 


48.4 


40.8 


7.7 


100 


45.3 


48.4 


40.0 


8.5 


99 


45.4 


48.8 


41.8 


7.1 


100 


45.4 


52.6 


43.3 


9.4 







Extremes 


Mpan 








Max. 


Mil). 


45.4 


50.3 


40.8 


45.5 


48.1 


41.3 


45.5 


48.4 


42.4 


45.5 


48.7 


42.8 


45.5 


48.3 


43.2 


45.6 


51.1 


42.6 


45.7 


52.5 


43.3 


45.7 


49.0 


37.9 


45.8 


51.2 


42.9 


45.9 


50.7 


43.4 


46.0 


48.5 


42.7 



Range 



100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
99 
100 
100 
100 
100 



Mixes 

Mixtecs 

Tzotzils 

Otomis 

Zapotecs (Mitla) 

Tarascans 

Cuioatecs 

Triquis 

Chols 

Huaxtecs 

Chinantecs 

Zoques 



Tlaxcalans .... 

Mazatecs 

Juaves 

Tzendals 

Totonacs 

Chontals 

Aztecs 

Zapotecs (Teh.) 

Tepehuas 

Chochos 

Mayas 



9.6 
6.9 
6.1 

6.0 
5.2 
8.6 
9.3 
11.2 
8.4 
7.4 
5.9 



The arm index is the proportion, or relation, between the length of the arm 
(found by subtracting the third from the second of the measures on the list) and the 
stature, the latter being 'taken at 100. The difference between the extreme indices 
44.6 and 46.0 is not great ; the mean of the indices is 45.3, while the median is 45.4. 

58 



Frederick Starr 



The mean of indices of five French series given by Topinard is 45.0' ; white soldiers, 
measured in the United States at the time of the Civil War, gave 43.4 ; Iroquois 
Indians, measured at the same time, gave 45.1 ; American negroes gave 45.2. A 
recent examination of West Soudan negroes gave Girard 4(181 Shoshonean tribes 
give 44.6*. These results are not clear ; on the whole they indicate tliat our Mexican 
Indians have long arms as comjiared with whites, American negroes, and some United 
Stales Indians, but short as compaicd witli Soudnncsc negroes. 



TABLE III. FINGER-REACH INDEX 



o 8 


Tribe 


Mean 


Extremes 


Raoge 


"o o 

is. 


Tribe 


Mean 


Extremes 


Rango 


ig5 


Max. 


MiD. 


Max. 


Miu. 


100 
100 
100 

98 
100 

98 
100 

99 

99 
100 

an 


Mixtecs 

Zapotocs(Mit.) 
Cuicatecs .... 

Triquis 

Juaves 

Tzotzils 

Tarascans 

Chinantecs . . . 

Chochos 

Otomi 

Chontals 

Zoques 


102.1 
102.."? 
102.4 
102.6 
102.7 
102.7 
102.8 
102.8 

las.o 

103.0 
103.1 
103.2 


108.0 
107.4 
109.4 
108.0 
107.2 
106.7 
108.4 
109.9 
111.7 
110.1 
110.0 


94.4 
96.6 
94.3 
97.3 
96.3 
96.7 
95.5 
93.6 
97.2 
97.3 
98.4 


13.7 
10.9 
15.2 
10.8 
11.0 
10.1 
13.0 
16.4 
14.6 
12.9 
11.7 
12.1 


99 
99 
100 
100 
100 
99 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 


Tlaxcalans . . 

Mixes 

Tzendals 

Aztecs 

Huaxtecs 

Zapotecs(Teh.) 

Chols 

Mazatecs 

Totonacs 

Tepehuas 


103.2 
103.3 
103.4 
103.6 
ia3.7 
ia3.8 
ia3.8 
104.1 
104.1 
104.5 
105.6 


110.6 
108.6 
109.3 
110.2 
109.0 
110.2 
109.4 
110.1 
110.0 
109.7 
111.7 


95.8 
99.9 
97.7 
98.7 
99.5 
94.5 
98.2 
99.7 
99.4 
99.8 
100.2 


14.9 
8.8 
11.7 
11.6 
9.6 
15.8 
11.3 
10.5 
10.7 
10.0 
11 6 


100 


108.6 


96.6 







The finger-reach, or the measure along the horizontally out-stretched arms from 
the tip of the middle finger of one hand to the tip of the middle finger of the other, 
is approximately the same as the stature. The finger-reach index is obtained by 
comparing this measure with the stature, taken at 100. For series of South Europeans 
this index ranges from 99.1) to 104.4 ; among Livonians and Esthonians it is 106.6 
and 107.4. In negroes and Iroquois Indians it rises to 108 and more. Among these 
Mexican tribes it ranges from 102.1 to 105.6, which cannot be considered very large. 
This index depends upon two elements, the shoulder-width and the arm-length. It is 
always less than the sum of the shoulder index and twice the arm index. This 
I'eduction is due to the fact that, when the arms are extended, a part of their length 
is lost by the sinking of the head of the humerus into the socket at the shoulder- 
joint. As the arms are rather long, and the should(>r-width rather great, we should 
expect a more notable finger-reach. 

Comparatively few investigators have calculated the sitting height index, and we 
have too little material regarding it, at hand, for satisfactory comparison. No doubt 



2TOPINARD, Elements gen., p. 1,076. These means, 
calculated with respect to the actual numbers of cases in 
the series, arc: French, 4o.l ; Mexican Indians, 45.39. 



1 1.' Anthropologie, Vol. XIII, p. 179. 

* Boas, Amei-ican Anthropologist^ Vol. I. p. ' 



59 



10 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 









TABLE IV. 


HEIGHT-SITTING INDEX 










o § 


Tribe 


Mean 


Extremes 




a 

z;j 


Tribe 


Mean 


Extremes 


Raagc 


6 a 


Max. 


Min. 




Max. 


Mill. 


80 
99 
100 


Chontals 

Zapotecs (Teh.). . 


51.6 
51.6 
51.7 
51.8 
51.8 
51.8 
52.0 
52.1 
52.1 
52.2 
52.3 
52.4 


55.2 
55.8 
54.5 
55.4 
5.3.9 
56.9 
55.4 
56.1 
54.8 
56.9 
55.9 
55.9 


47.3 
48.2 
47.9 
47.5 
49.6 
47.9 
48.4 
48.6 
48.3 
49.0 
47.8 
48.6 


8.0 
7.7 
6.7 
8.0 
4.4 
9.1 
7.1 
7.6 
6.6 
8.0 
8.2 
7.4 


100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 


Mazatecs 

Zoques 

Cuicateos 

Chochos 

Tlaxcalans 

Huaxtecs 

Tepehuas 

Tzotzils 

Totonacs 

Tzendals 

Chinantecs 


52.0 
52.5 
52.6 
52.7 
52.7 
52.8 
53.0 
53.2 
53.2 
53.3 
53.9 


56.1 

56.2 
56.8 
57.2 
55.1 
55.9 
58.2 
53.3 
56.2 
58.8 
56.6 


49.4 
48.2 
48.6 
49.9 
49.4 
49.7 
50.4 
49.1 
50.7 
50.7 
51.4 


6.8 
8.1 
8.3 


100 
100 
100 
100 
99 


Aztecs 

Juaves 

Otoiiiis 

Tarascans 


7.4 
5.8 
6.3 
7.9 
9.3 


98 
100 


Mixes 


5.6 

8.2 


100 
100 


Zapotecs(Mitla). 
Chols 


5.3 



the data for such a table exists, but we have not had time for compiling it. Boas {loc. 
cit.), gives the Shoshonean index at 52.2. From Verneau's measurements," we find the 
index for three tribes of African negroes to be 48.5, 49.2, 48.2. The mean of the indices 
in our table is 52.4. This is relatively high and shows that these tribes have long trunks. 
The impression one receives fi'om seeing these people is that they have a great sitting 
height, a condition to be expected among mountain tribes, where the rarity of the air 
would seem to necessitate ample lung capacity. We had expected to find the variation 
in this particular directly related to altitude. In this expectation we were disap- 

TABLE V. SHOULDER-WIDTH INDEX 



^ 






Extremes 




^ 






Extremes 




^ ? 


Tribe 


Mean 






Range 


do 


Tribe 


Mean 






Range 












za 






Max. 


Min. 




zo 






Max. 


Min. 




100 


Otomis 


21.5 


24.6 


19.4 


5.3 


100 


Cuicatecs 


22.4 


24.3 


20.4 


4.0 


99 


Tlaxcalans 


21.8 


24.5 


19.6 


5.0 


98 


Mi.xee 


22.6 


25.8 


20.7 


5.2 


100 


Tzendals 


21.9 


24.2 


19.8 


4.5 


100 


Mixtecs 


22.6 


24.6 


20.4 


4.3 


100 


Tarascans 


21.9 


24.4 


19.0 


5.5 


100 


Totonacs 


22.7 


25.1 


19.7 


5.5 


100 


Aztecs 


21.9 


24.7 


19.6 


5.2 


98 


Triquis 


22.8 


25.3 


20.7 


4.7 


80 


Chontals 


21.9 
22 1 


23.8 
25.1 


19.2 
19.7 


4.7 
5.5 


100 
100 


Huaxtecs 

Tepehuas 


22.8 
22.8 


24.8 
25.1 


20.9 
21.0 


4.0 


100 


Chols 


4.2 


100 


Zapotecs (Mitla). 


22.1 


24.3 


19.9 


4.5 


100 


Mazatecs 


22.9 


25.7 


21.3 


4.5 


100 


Tzotzils 


22.2 


24.3 


19.7 


4.7 


99 


Zapotecs (Teh.).. . 


23.0 


25.0 


20.1 


5.0 


100 


Zoques 


22.2 


25.4 


19.7 


5.8 


100 




23.1 


25.3 


21.0 


4.4 


100 


22.3 
22.4 


25.2 
24.5 


20.2 
20.5 


5.1 
4.1 


100 


Chochos 


23.2 


26.1 


20.1 


6.1 


100 


Chinantecs 





5"Oulofs, Leybous et Seyreres," L'' Anthropologic, Vol. YI, pp. 510-28. 

60 



Fbedeeick Stabr 



11 



]K)iiited. It is true that the Chontnls, Tehuaiitepecaiios, Mayas, and Juaves, who live 
ill places near sea level, are short in sitting height, thus seeming to sustain our suppo- 
sition ; but the Huaxtecs (linguistically related to the Mayas), who also live at a sliglit 
elevation, have a long trunk. Aztecs and Otomis live on the high plateau, but are 
near the lowland tribes in sitting-height index. 

We were cunstantlv imjin^ssed by the a])parent fine development of chest in many 
iiidividiials, aiul (■x|)t'ctc(l to find tlic slKiuldtT-iiidcx lai-gc and varying with altitude. 
The actual figures liardly meet our expectations. Compared with the indices given in 
Topinard (lor. vit., \). lOS'i) they are rather large. The measurements taken at the 
time of our Civil War give white Americans 18. li and ISM); Iroquois Indians, IX.S, and 
American negroes 21.3. All of these fall below our minimum, the Otomis. at 21."). 
Boas's Shoshoneans {loc. cH.) gave 23.2, which agrees with our maximum for the 
Chochos. We do not understand how the Chochos have so small a finger-reach index; 
with the greatest shoulder width index and next to the maximum arm index they 
ought to be close to the maximum. We suspect some error here, but have sought in 
vain to locate it. • ' 

The cephalic index, unquestionably the most quoted datum in anthropology, 

T.\BLE VI. CEPHALIC INDEX 



100 

100 I 
100 j 
100 j 

100 ! 

100 ! 

99 
100 
100 
100 
100 

99 
100 
100 
100 

80 
1(K) 
lU) 
1(K) 
IIK) 
100 
100 
100 



Tzendals 

Tzotzils 

Otomis 

Aztecs 

Tarascans 

Zoques 

Triquis 

Tlaxcalans 

Chochos 

Chols 

Zapotecs (Mitla), 
Zapotecs (Teh.).. 

Cuicatecs 

Mi.xes 

Mixtecs 

Chontals 

Mazatecs 

Chinantecs 

Tepehuas 

Huaxtecs 

Juaves 

Mayas 

Totonacs 



76.8 
76.9 
77.6 
78.9 
79.4 
80.2 
80. .3 
80.5 
80.5 
80.8 
81.0 
81.1 
81.3 
81.8 
81.9 
83.2 
83.2 
83.7 
84.0 
84.4 
84.5 
85.0 



86.4 
82.7 
85.1 
86.5 
88.3 
89.5 
92.4 
87.2 
93.6 
95.7 
89.2 
89.5 
90.1 
97.5 
96.1 
93.5 
93.9 
96.4 
92.4 
95.7 
93.7 
94.6 
95.8 



68.0 
68.5 
69.5 
69.0 
71.3 
69.4 
72.6 
70.9 
74.0 
72.4 
73.5 
73.3 
72.5 
71.7 
74.5 
75.6 
74.8 
74.0 
75.2 
75.7 
74.3 
75.2 
76.5 



18.5 
14.3 
15.7 
17.6 
17.1 
20.2 
19.9 
16.4 
19.7 
23.4 
15.8 
16.3 
17.7 
25.9 
21.7 
18.0 
19.2 
22.5 
17.3 
20.1 
19.5 
19.5 
19.4 



iSi 



lis 


ill 


59 


13 


65 


15 


&3 


17 


56 


.35 


53 


.32 


47 


.^^ 



61 



12 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 



ranges in these tribes from 76.8 to 85.9. Adopting Topinard's nomenclature, we find 
no dolichocephalic or sub-dolichocephalic tribes, five mesaticephalic, seventeen sub- 
brachycephalic, and one supra-brachycephalic. Here we have no lack of material 
from other parts of the country for comparison, as cephalic indices of North American 
Indians have been published by many observers. Deniker may profitably be consulted. 
The Eskimo of the far North and the Botocudo of Brazil are true dolichocephals ; the 
Indians of the United States are mostly sub-dolichocephalic and mesaticephalic; 
among some of the southern tribes the index rises. Our series, however, probably 
give the highest indices recorded, and the Mayas and Totonacs no doubt are the 
most brachycephalic of North American tribes. It will be noticed that there is no 

TABLE VII. facial INDEX 



100 

99 

100 

99 

100 

100 

100 

100 

80 

100 

100 

100 



Aztecs 

Tlaxcalans .... 

Tarascans 

Zapotecs (Teh.) 

Huaxtecs 

Cuicatecs 

Chochos 

Zoques 

Chontals 

Mixtecs 

Chols 

Tzotzils 



77.0 


86.5 


78.0 


91.3 


78.1 


87.9 


78.7 


88.0 


79.1 


96.7 


79.3 


96.8 


79.8 


95.7 


79.9 


92.2 


79.9 


93.7 


80.0 


92.0 


80.4 


90.7 


80.6 


93.4 



67.5 
68.7 
69.3 
70.5 
72.6 
68.9 



70.4 
70.0 
71.2 
69.0 



19.1 
22.7 
18.7 
17.6 
24.2 
28.0 
26.3 
22.8 
23.4 
22.1 
19.6 
24.5 



Mixes 

Zapotecs (Mitla) 

Triquis 

Otomis 

Totonacs 

Juaves 

Tzendals 

Mazatecs 

Tepehuas 

Chinantecs 

Mayas 





EXTEE>rES 


Mean 






Max. 


Min. 


80.8 


94.1 


70.1 


80.8 


89.5 


68.3 


80.8 


92.3 


66.3 


81.0 


92.3 


71.7 


81.4 


94.7 


73.8 


81.5 


92.5 


74.3 


81.6 


94.5 


65.6 


81.7 


93.0 


72.2 


82.1 


93.5 


73.1 


82.2 


94.2 


73.3 


as. 4 


95.0 


59.6 



24.1 
21.3 
26.1 
20.7 
21.0 
18.3 
29.0 
20.9 
20.5 
21.0 
35.5 









TABLE VIII. FACIAL 


INDEX (b) 










■3S 


Tribe 


Median 


Extremes 




zo 


Tribe 


Median 


Extremes 




5SO 


Max. 


Min. 




Max. 


Min. 




100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 

99 
100 
100 

80 
100 


Aztecs 

Tlaxcalans . . 
Tarascans . . 

Mixes 

Zoques 

Otomis 

Cuicatecs . . 
Zapotecs (T.) 
Zapotecs(M.) 
Tzotzils .... 
Chontals . . . 
Chols 


119.5 
120.5 
121.1 
122.9 
123.2 
123.5 
123.8 
124.1 
124.3 
124.7 
124.7 
124.9 


135.5 
138.0 
135.2 
138.4 
1.37.5 
1.38.4 
1.38.3 
1.37.3 
139.0 
144.4 
•138.4 
140.5 


98.4 
103.8 
103.1 
110.5 
109.0 
108.3 
104.0 
106.8 
108.6 
107.5 
108.1 
108.8 


37.2 
34.3 
.32.2 
28.0 
28.6 
30.2 
34.4 
30.6 
30.5 
37.0 
30.4 
31.8 


100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
99 
100 


Juaves 

Huaxtecs . . . 
Tepehuas . . . 
Chochos . . . . 
Totonacs . . . 
Chinantecs . 

Mixtecs 

Mazatecs . . . 
Tzendals . . . 

Triquis 

Mayas 


124.9 
125.1 
125.4 
125.5 
125.6 
125.7 
125.7 
125.9 
125.9 
126.6 
1.30.4 


139.4 
147.5 
150.8 
141.7 
138.8 
146.2 
143.5 
143.2 
144.4 
143.5 
147.1 


107.0 
115.5 
103.6 
113.5 
114.0 
106.9 
108.6 
105.6 
104.9 
105.7 
111.5 


32.5 
32.1 
47.3 
28.3 
24.9 
39.4 

a5.o 

37.7 
39.6 
37.9 
35.7 



62 



Frederick Starr 



13 



agreement in this ii>sj)tH't between tribes of the same linguistic family. Mayas and 
Huaxtecs stand near the upper end, while Tzendals and Tzotzils, tliinr linguistic 
relatives, are at the lower end. 

Wo shall make no comments regarding the facial indices. The first is found by 
taking the height, from hair-line to chin, at 100, and computing the proportion of the 
maximum — bizygomatic — breadth. In the second the height, from the nasion to the 
chin, is taken at 100 and compared with the same breadth. 

TABLE IX. NASAL INDEX 




100 
100 

80 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 

99 
1(X) 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 

99 



Juaves 

Chols 

Chontals 

Zoques 

Mayas 

Huaxtecs 

Mixes 

Totonacs 

Chinantecs .... 
Zapotecs (Teh.) 

Cuicatees 

Aztecs 

Tepehuas 

Mazatecs 

Tlaxcalans 

Zapotecs (Mitla) 

Tarascans 

Chochos 

Mixtccs 

Otomis 

Tzendals 

Tzotzils 

Triquis 



Mean 


EXTBEUES 


Range 


^f 1 


,.23 


Max. 


Mill. 


76.0 


100.0 


62.2 


,37.9 


20 


71 


76.4 


106.9 


58.6 


48.4 


22 


64 


77.2 


94.0 


61.5 


.32.6 


8 


61 


77.4 


95.3 


61.1 


.34.2 


16 


69 


77.5 


93.0 


&3.3 


29.8 


12 


73 


78., 3 


102.5 


57.1 


45.5 


9 


73 


78.8 


102.3 


56.4 


46.0 


12 


70 


79.1 


97.7 


60.7 


.37.1 


7 


72 


79.6 


97.8 


.59.3 


.38.6 


9 


68 


80.0 


102.1 


64.2 


.38.0 


9 


65 


80.2 


1(X).0 


65.4 


34.7 


5 


70 


80.5 


104.8 


61. 1 


43.8 


6 


72 


80.7 


97.7 


63.0 


.34.8 


3 


72 


80.8 


102.0 


61.4 


40.7 


6 


61 


81. G 


109.3 


63.3 


46.1 


9 


56 


81.9 


102.3 


65.3 


37.1 


3 


64 


82.6 


102.4 


67.7 


34.8 


4 


60 


82.6 


102.3 


60.0 


42.4 


4 


62 


83.1 


97.9 


67.2 


.30.8 


7 


65 


83.1 


104.5 


66.0 


.38.6 


4 


55 


83.8 


102.2 


64.1 


.38.2 


4 


51 


84.8 


104.5 


63A 


41.2 


6 


43 


86.5 


107.5 


67.2 


40.4 


3 


.37 






9 
14 
11 
15 
15 
18 
18 
21 
23 
25 
25 
22 
25 
33 
35 
.33 
.36 
.34 
28 
41 
45 
51 



The nasal index is of the greatest interest. The actual form of the nose among 
these tribes varies greatly, as will be evident from study of the tribal descriptions. 
Many of the tribes have finely aquiline noses, which range from the large, prominent, 
and relatively thin nose of the Juaves, to the small, flat, and broad nose of the Triquis. 
None of the tribes is leptorhinian, and only among the Juaves and the Chols do we 
find as many as one-fifth of the individual cases in that category. On the other hand, 
only one single mean index places its tribe — the Triquis — among the platyrhinians, 
and only fifty-nine out of tiie ninety-nine subjects are so. The rest of the tribes are 
niesoi-hinian. Deniker gives tlie nasal indices of but few American tribes, and those 

63 



14 



Physical Chakactees of Indians of Southern Mexico 





FIG. 1. OTOMI; HL'IXyril>l-"KAN, STATE OK MEXICO 

are all mesorhinian. Boas's Shoshoiieaiis at !s;5. 1 coiiu-ide witli tlie Mixtecs, and come 
between the Chochos and Otomis. 

We now turn to the data relative to each trihe: the tribes are taken up in the 
order in which they were visited, and in which they are numbered upon tlu' sketch-map. 



THE OTOMIS 

The Otomis are of little stature, only one subject deserving the characterization 
"tall;" they are mesaticephalic, and have absolutely the longest heads of all the tribes 
visited; the nasal index, at 83.0, marks them as mesorhinian, although many indi- 
vidual cases are platyrhinian ; the shoulder- width index is the least observed. 

To the eye there appear to be two well-marked types of males. The first is taller, 
lighter, broader-nosed than the other, and has eyes that are widely separated and 
often oblique. The broad nose may be wide and flat at the tip, or it may be what we 
have designated "beaked" — with the ridge extending down beyond the alse as a 
central, hooked, body, from which the alse open out rather broadly. While the nose 
is wide and low, it is often aquiline ; at the root it is flat-convex or squarish. The 
beard on the upper cheeks is scanty, lacking altogether on the lower cheeks, is scanty 
on the chin, and medium on the upper lip. As is frequently the case among Mexican 

64 



Fki: i)i;u n k Sr \ ku 



1o 




FIG. 2. OTOMI WO.MAN: HUIXQl'IU'K.VX. ST.\TK OF MKXICO 







TABLE X. 


OTOMIS 










Men (100) Women (28) 




Mean Max. Min. Mean 


Max. 


Min. 




1,579.7 1-718 1.421 1.455.7 


1,528 

1,278 

612 

1.559 

827 

.355 

190 

1.52 

178 

115 

144 

50 

46 

67 


1.324 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of .seeond linger 

Finger-reaeh 

Height, sitting 

Width of shoulders 

Length of head 

Breadth of head 

Height of face irn 

Height of face (?)i 


1,315.2 

602.2 

1,629.0 

819.7 

3.38.3 

189.7 

147,2 

176.1 

114.1 

140.7 

50.0 

41.6 

64.1 


1.438 

681 

1,776 

890 

.380 

203 

160 

196 

124 

150 

58 

48 

76 


1,165 ! 1,202.3 
527 .550.8 

1,419 1,481.4 
752 774.1 
m^ .322.7 
180 181.7 
1.36 144.6 
l.")4 164. 2 
1114 105.8 
130 l.Ti.l 


1,079 
486 

1..351 
698 
296 
173 
1.32 
141 
90 
127 


Height of nose 

Breadth of nose 


43 
34 
53 


43. G 
38.4 
60.1 


.38 
.32 
54 






Arm index 

Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height inde.x .... 

Shoulder inde.x 

Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 


45.0 ■ 
103.0 

51.8 

21.5 

77.6 

81.0 
123.5 


49.6 
110.1 
56.9 
24.6 
85.1 
92.3 
1.38 4 


40.8 
97.3 
47.9 
19.4 
69.5 
71.7 . 
108.3 
66.0 


44.7 
101.7 
53.1 
22.1 
79.0 
78.3 
127.6 


47.8 
105.3 
56.9 
'23.7 
86.2 
86.4 
1.39.8 


41.9 
96.7 
50.9 
20.2 
69.7 
68.1 
119.1 




&3 1 1 104 5 


88.2 i 117.9 73.9 















65 



16 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 









FIG. :s. TARASCAN (YOUNG TYPE): SANTA FE DE LA LAGUNA, STATE OF MICHOACAN 

tribes, the beard among the Otomis shows greater variation in form or texture, in 
color, and in turning gray, than the hair of the head. Both, however, show much 
variation: in more than 30 per cent, of the subjects the beard varies from the normal 
straight and black condition ; in something over 20 per cent, of subjects the hair of 
the head varies. The head is long. The skin is a light yellow or whitish, curiously 
ruddy, and blotched with red, purple, or blue. The face is flat and broad. — The other 
type is little, dark brown (Ifi), and has a much more agreeable facial expression; the 
eyes are less widely-spaced, and the eyebrows often meet; the root of the nose is flat, 
depressed, and often squarish ; the nose is narrower and better-shaped than in the 
previous type. The individual represented in the cut belongs to this little type. 

Women are more uniform, and, on the whole, are darker than the men. They 
more resemble the second than the first male type. They are little; from yellow- 
brown to dark brown ( 16) ; the face is flat, the nose broad and flat, the cheek-bones wide, 
and the heads absolutely long. The head-hair grows low upon the forehead, and the 
forehead itself is frequently grown with a fine black down; the eyebrows often meet. 
The heads of the women, and of the little men, are peculiarly high — as well as long 
— though this appearance is increased in men by the mode of cutting the hair. (The 
hair on the upper third of the head is left uncut while the rest is trimmed. ) Eighteen 
women who had been mothers had had one hundred and twenty -one children. 

66 



Frederick Starr 



17 





FIU. 1. TARASCAN OIKL: SANTA FK DK L\ l.\'.l \ \ -T \TE OK MICHOACAN 



THE TARASCANS 

The Tarasrans are among the taller of these tribes, less than half, forty-nine, being 
of little stature; only two subjects, however, were tall. Though taller than their neigh- 
bors, the Otomis, their heads are shorter. Among the men we may distinguish a well- 
defined youthful, and an equally definite older, type. In the youthful type, which 
holds until thirty or thirty-five years, and which )ii(iii persist through life, the skin is 
of a fine, dark brown ( 1()|; the face is large; the nose is broad, with round nostrils, 
which open to the sides, and which are separated from the face level, behind, by a 
well-defined ridge of flesh; the eyes are often mongoloiil; the lips are thick and 
[)rotrude somewhat; there is little of the fine, black, foreheuil down, even in childi-en. 
— In the older type the face lengthens; the nose becomes narrower; the nostrils face 
downward, and the ridge of flesh behind them disappears; the eyes straighten. 

The hair is straight and black, but two cases showing any degree of graying; one- 
fourth of the cases show a slight tendency to waviness. The eyes are generally well 
separated. The beard distribution is remarkably uniform. It is scanty and of 
moderate length iipon the upper chei^ks; there is none or little on the loW(>r cheeks, 
and when there is any it is well forward: on the ti[i of the chin there is a nietliuni or 
scanty sliort growth; the moustache is scanty or mediuni. and of moderate length. 

67 



18 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 



The ear is well-shaped, and stands off somewhat from the head; the l^order of the 
helix is thin and, above, is rolled inward, below is flat; the lobe is rather large, 
attached, and round-triangular. 

Twenty-one women have had one hundred and fifty-two children, of whom one 
hundred and one have died. Families are quite frequently large ; the largest included 
in this enumeration consisted of thirteen children. Women are frequently fat. 
Goitre occurs to a considerable extent. In Uruapan only those living in the ward of 
San Juan are affected. We examined six cases there, of whom three were males and 
three females. Three of these cases were deaf and two were imbecile; one female 
examined, who was sixty years of age and unmarried, has two brothers — whom we did 
not see — of whom one is a deaf-mute, the other is goitrous. At Capdcuaro, a quite 
purely Tarascan town, the disease is common. It seemed as if every man we met was 
more or less affected; some of the cases were notably developed. 





Men- (100) 


Women (?i)) 




Mean 


Max. 


Mill. 


Mean 


Max. 


Mill. 




1,600.4 

1,327.6 

603". 9 

1,645.8 

833.5 

351.7 

184.3 

146.5 

178.2 

115.0 

139.1 

48.0 

40.1 

63.3 


1,718 

1,429 

660 

1,794 

903 

392 

199 

158 

199 

128 

151 

59 

46 

74 


1,450 

1,203 

494 

1,525 

739 

319 

169 

138 

158 

102 

128 

41 

53 


1,481.8 

1,223.9 

566.2 

1,519.9 

790.8 

324.3 

179.5 

142.2 

169.6 

107.8 

133.7 

43.4 

37.0 

61.4 


1,602 

1,326 

642 

1,664 

860 

.351 

190 

149 

181 

117 

143 

48 

43 

71 


1,381 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second linger 


1,110 

495 

1,431 




727 


Width of shoulders 


294 

170 


Breadth of head 

Height of face {a 

Height of face [b, 


1.34 
154 
99 
128 




39 




32 




55 








45.1 
102.8 
52.0 
21.9 
79.4 
78.1 
121.1 
82.6 


48.8 
108.4 
55.4 
24.4 
88.3 
87.9 
135.2 
102.4 


39.2 
95.5 
48.4 
19.0 
71.3 
69.3 ■ 
103.1 
67.7 


44.3 
102.2 
53.3 
21.8 
79.2 
78.9 
124.1 
85.1 


46.0 
108.2 
55.8 
23.6 
84.3 
88.5 
1.32.0 
95.3 


42.3 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index, 


92.1 
50.6 
20.0 


Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 

Facial index [h] 


75.7 

72.3 

116.2 

73.0 







THE TLAXCALANS 

In stature the Tlaxcalans are only surpassed by the Zapotecs of Tehuantei)ec and 
twenty-one out of the hundred are above the mean stature of mankind. The head is 
well shaped although, frequently, there is a curious bulging of the forehead above the 
glabella. In skull-form they are intermediate, forty-two subjects being mesaticephalic 
and fifty sub-brachycephalic. The skin color is a fine dark-brown (16), shading at 
times toward yellow-brown or red-brown. The hair is black and straight; few 

68 



Fbedebick Starr 



19 




FIG. .-,. TLAXCALAX: TLAXCALA, STATE OF TLAXCALA 

subjects — only six — were distiiic-tly gray and only one of these was white; seven- 
teen showed a slight tendency to waviness or curliness; middle-aged men rather 
frequently showed thinning of hair on top of head and some degree of temporal bald- 
ness. The beard formula is none (or scanty), none or scanty and well forward on the 
cheeks, medium for scanty) on tip and central line of chin; moustache rather full and 
often of fair h^ngth. The beard on the cliin is first to turn gray, then that on the 
lower cheeks: these may be quite gray before the moustache begins to turn; the beard 
as a whole may be gray or even white, before the hair of the head is sprinkled with 
gray. While the hair itself is usually straight, the beard hair is often inclined to 
become curly. The eyes are dark Ijrown, but moderately spaced, and rarely mon- 
goloid; there is unusually frequency of lighter brown eyes, 16 per cent. The line of 
union between the nose and the forehead is rather high and from narrow to medium ; 
the root of the nose is little depressed; the nose itself is aquiline, frequently; the 
beaked nose, already described, is rather common. The lips are thin or of medium 
thii-kness and are nearly vertical. The ears rarely project to a notable degree from 
the head, and are, often, quite close to tlie licad; they are round; the upper border of 
the helix is thin and rolled in; the lower part of the border is tlat and of medium 
tliirkiiess; the lobe is of fair size, round, and attaclied. 

Women present little that calls for c-omment. Their eyes, like thos(> of tlie men, 

69 



20 Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 





\ 



FIG. G. AZTEC; rUAUHTL.VNTZI.N'CO, ST.VTE OF I'UERLA 



TABLE XII. TLAXCALANS 





Men (100) 


Women- (2.5) 




Mean 


Max. Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 


1,603.4 

1,329.5 

600.7 

1,656.0 

845.5 

,350.6 

185.2 

149.1 

179.7 

116.3 

140.1 

49.4 

40.1 

65.1 


1.787 

1,503 

696 

1,977 

910 

400 

210 

163 

205 

129 

154 

60 

47 

75 


1.493 

1,223 

519 

1.5.38 

774 

309 

175 

1.37 • 

161 

105 

125 

43 

.34 

56 


l,4a3.6 

1,225.2 

563.9 

1,507.0 

789.5 

323.5 

179.3 

143.5 

168.4 

108.5 

1.30.5 

43.8 

.35.6 

59.8 


1.571 

1,276 

610 

1,612 

839 

,353 

187 

153 

184 

118 

139 

51 

.39 

68 


1,413 

1,168 
527 

1,400 
722 


Width of shoulders 


299 
172 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 

Breadth of face 


1.35 
151 
102 
123 




39 


Breadth of nose 


.32 

54 






Arm inde.x 

Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index 


45.4 
103.2 
52.7 
21.8 
80.5 
78.0 
• 120.5 
81.6 


50.3 
110.6 
55.1 
24.5 
87.2 
91.3 
138.0 
109.3 


40.8 
95.8 
49.4 
19.6 
70.9 
68.7 
103.8 
63.3 


44.5 
101.6 
53.2 
21.7 
79.9 
77.2 
120.3 
81.3 


47.9 
108.4 
55.0 
23.8 
84.5 
83.7 
131.0 
90.4 


42.5 
94.6 
50.8 
20.3 


Cephalic index 


75.4 
68.4 




107.8 




68.6 







Frederick Starr 



21 





Kv'Ji^ "V ^ 



AZTEf WOMAN: CUAUHTLANTZINCO. STATK OF rUEBLA 



are rather often brown, and not almost hlaok; this occurred in '20 per cent, of cases. 
Nineteen mothers had borne one hunchvd and sixteen cliil(h'(>n, of whom just lialf liad 
died. Tlie lartrest family in the series was of eiirhteeii ciiildren. Two wciuicn were barren. 



THE AZTECS 

The Aztecs I'xamined were, unfortunately, from close by TInxcala. ("uauhtlant- 
ziiu-o is a ••nuuli' town." df jiost-comiucst origin. lis ]io]iulation was drawn from 
Chohila and Tlaxcala. There should then l)e little diti'erence between our TIaxcalan 
and Aztec series; real differences wouhl ])oint to a true Aztec type, lying on the other 
side of the observation from the TIaxcalan. 

stature .\rm Fiuger-reach Sitting-hci*?ht .Shouldc 

Aztec b590.2 -45.7 103.(5 51.8 21.!» 

Tlaxcahi 1603.4 45.4 103.2 52.7 21 .S 

The significant variations are in stature, sitting-height index, cephalic index, and 
nasal index. The Tlaxcalans are taller, more dolichocephalic, and broader-nosed than 
the Cholultec-Tlaxcalans of Cuaiditlantzinco. Presumably a ])urer Aztec type would 
be shorter, more; brachycephalic, and narrower-nosed. 

The same remarks concerning hair — color, form, and distribution — already made 
regarding Tlaxcalans apply to the Aztecs. Fifteen per cent, of eyes among men were 

71 



S().5 


Facial 

77. 


llit.5 


Nasal 
80.5 


7S.'.I 


78. 


12()..5 


8l.() 



22 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 



lighter than normal, 8 per cent, among women. One case of strabismus and one of 
cataract occurred among the hundred subjects. The line of union between the nose 
and forehead was high and of medium breadth : the tip of the nose was rather thick. 
The lips were often thick and somewhat projecting. Ears rarely project notably, but 
the lower part of the ear often stands off somewhat. The helix border is thin and 
rolled-in above, thick and flat below; the lobe is rather large, attached, and round — 
tending to square or triangular. 

To twenty-four mothers one hundred and forty children were born, of whom only 
sixty had survived; one woman was barren. Three women out of the twenty-five 
were stout. 

TABLE XIII. AZTECS 





Mex (100) 


Women (25) 


Jlcan 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger .... 

Fingerreach 

Height sitting 

Width of shoulders 

Length of head 

Breadth of head 

Height of face (o) 

Height of face lb) 


1,590.2 
1,318.8 
591.3 
1,648.9 
825.8 
350.0 
185.7 
146.5 
179.5 
115.6 
138.1 


1.776 

1,498 

696 

1,797 

887 

390 

200 

158 

200 

1.33 

151 

60 

47 


1,465 

1,209 

508 

1,485 

754 

,304 

174 

1.34 

162 

101 

124 

41 

a3 

.54 


1,161.8 

1,211.8 

558.7 

1.503.2 

762.2 

.325.1 

179.1 

142.8 

171.0 

107.0 

1.31.9 

45.4 

.36.4 

61.0 


1,527 

1,271 

601 

1,587 

824 

357 

185 

156 

187 

119 

145 

54 

43 

67 


1,.339 

1,118 

495 

1,.363 

704 

299 

171 

133 

159 

98 

123 


Height of nose 

Breadth of nose 

Length of ear 


50.0 
40.0 
63.9 


.39 
34 
55 


45.7 


.52.5 


43 3 


44.6 
102.4 
52.1 
22.1 
79.4 
76.7 
122.5 
80.0 


47.4 
107.1 
55.0 
24.1 
87.7 
83.6 
134.2 
95.5 


41.0 


Fingerreach index 

Sitting-height inde.x . . . 

Shoulder index 

Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 


103.5 
51.8 
21.9 
78.9 
77.0 

119.5 
80.5 


110.2 98.7 

55.4 47.5 
24.7 19.6 

86.5 69.0 
86.5 67.5 

1.35.5 ' 98.4 


90.1 
50.2 
20.1 
72.2 
70.0 
110.0 


Nasal index 


104.8 


61.1 


68.0 



THE MIXTECS 

The Mixtecs are of little stature, mesati- to sub-brachycephalic and mesorhinian. 
The hair is straight, black, and abundant. Five cases were gray; thirteen were 
sprinkled with gray ; one was brown ; nine showed a tendency to waviness and six to 
curliness. The forehead is high, but the apparent height is frequently due, in part, 
to forward baldness. The beard was gray in twelve cases, sprinkled with gray in 
eleven, and relatively light-colored in three. The distribution of the beard was: none 
to scanty, none or scanty to medium, medium; medium to full. The beard on the 
chin was often confined to the very tip. There were sixteen subjects with brown eyes ; 
obliquity of the eyes, in any degree, was observed but six times. The line of union 

72 



Frederick St.\rr 




FIG. s. .MIXTEC: YODOCONO, .ST.\TE OF 0.\X.\C.\ 



TABLE XIV. 





Men- (ino'i 


Women (Kl 




Mpan Max. 


Miu. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 


1..561 3 1.7.55 


1,421 

1,179 

526 

1,.342 

7.32 

318 

156 

135 

157 

101 

1.30 

41 

.35 

57 


1,467.9 

1,206.6 

.543.5 

1,493.5 

774.2 

.■?29.5 

179.5 

143.9 

164.0 

105.3 

1.35.7 

44.9 

.37.1 

61 3 


1,.580 

1,.301 

.594 

1,.588 

853 

.3.59 

190 

1.55 

180 

118 

142 

50 

43 


1,367 
1,1.31 
493 
1,403 
716 
298 
171 
1.35 
139 
93 
128 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger ... 

Finger-reach 

Height, sitting 

Width of .-shoulders 

Length of head 

Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 


1,291.0 

^.yx>■2 

SI.-. 7 

;i");i.7 

182.5 
149.4 
178.4 
113.5 
142.5 
49.9 
40.6 
a3.9 


1,.345 

&58 

1,790 

895 

.388 

196 

162 

200 

127 

154 

59 

48 

75 


Height of nose 

Breadth of nose 


40 
.34 
56 










44.8 
102.1 
52.2 
22.6 
81.9 
80.0 
125.7 
&3 1 


47.7 
108.0 
56.9 
24.6 
96.1 
92.0 
143.5 
97 9 


.38.0 
94.4 
49.0 
20.4 
74.5 
70.0 
108.6 
67 2 


45.1 
101.7 
.52.7 
22.4 
80.2 
82.8 
129.3 
82 7 


47.7 
106.2 
58.9 
23.6 
&5.9 
97.1 
148.3 
97 (! 


43 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index. . . . 

Shoulder index 

Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 

Facial index {h) 


97.2 
49.5 
20.7 
75.5 
73.3 
114.4 
65 9 

















73 



24 



Physical Oharacteek of Ixdiaks of Southern Mexico 





/ 




FIG. ii. TEIQUI; CHICAHUAXTLA, STATE OF OAXACA 

lietween the nose and the forehead varies from high to medium and is of medium 
width; while the nose is frequently aquiline, the tip is wide and flat. The lips are 
moderately thick and project somewhat. The ears are round and close to the head, 
though they tend to stand off considerably below. The helix border is thin and 
slightly turned-in above, rather thick and flat below; the lobe is large, round, and 
attached. The face is often absolutely large and is broad and heavy below. The 
color of the skin is dark brown — from 13 to 10. 

In women there is, quite often, a growth of fine, black down upon the forehead. 
Twenty-two women had had one hundred and tweiity-two children, of whom seventy- 
seven still lived. Two women were unmarried and one was barren. 



THE TRIQUIS 

The Triquis present one of the best marked types of Southern Mexico. They are 
next to the shortest among the tribes examined, are mesati- to sub-brachycephalic, and 
have the highest nasal index observed — 86.5. They are well-built and finely muscled. 
The hair is black and straight, only fifteen persons showing graying or light color and 
but five showing any tendency to waviness or curling. The beard appears late, men 
of thirty often having almost none. On the upper cheeks there is none or scanty, on 

74 



Fki 



K St.\RR 




FHi. 111. THKn'I WOM.W": fllK'Ain-AXTL A STATK OK O.WACA 







TABLE XV. 


TRIQUIS 












Men (99) 




Women (25) 




Mean 


Max. 


MiD. 


Moan 


Max. 


Mill. 


Stature 


1,551.4 

1,281.2 

578.6 

1.592.4 

802.1 

355.7 

ia3.6 

147.5 

172.5 

110.1 

140.6 

47.7 

41.1 

62.0 


1,679 

1,429 

6.56 

1.728 

881 

4a3 

198 

167 

197 

129 

151 

58 

49 

73 


1..351 

l.(J97 

466 

1.434 

691 

312 

163 

135 

154 

97 

128 

40 

33 

54 


1.425.3 

1,172.3 

535. f) 

1,464.0 

756.4 

.319.9 

179.4 

142.0 

162.9 

104.1 

1.32.5 

42.8 

38.3 

58.2 


1..557 

1,284 

675 

1,597 

834 

.•541 

199 

155 

179 

112 

144 

49 

44 

64 


1..316 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 


i.oa3 

451 
l.:?25 


Hei^;ht, >itliri>; 


692 


Width of :^houlders 

Length of head 

Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Hcitrlit of face (hi 


291 
164 
1.35 
150 
94 
125 


Height of nose 


36 
.34 




47 








45.2 
102.6 
52.1 
22.8 
80.3 
80.8 
126.6 
86.5 


46.7 
108.0 

56.1 

25.3 

92.4 

92.3 j 
143.5 1 
107.5 


40.2 
97.3 
48.6 
20.7 
72.6 
66.3 
105.7 
67.2 


44.6 
101.8 
53.0 
22.4 
79.2 
81.4 
127.5 
89.7 


47.8 
106.5 
55.4 
24.5 
89.6 
88.1 
1.37.2 
110.2 


.37.9 


Finger reach index 

Sitting height index 

Shoulder index 

Cephalic index 


88.7 
48.9 
20.4 
71.3 
73.1 




116.9 




76.6 







75 



26 Physical Characters t)F Indians of Southern Mexico 




r 




FIG. 11. Z.VPOTEC: TLACOLUL.V. ST.VTE OF OAXACA 

the lower elieeks none in seventy-one cases, on the chin it is scanty to medium: the 
moustache is of medium growth. The eyes are dark brown and are truly mongoloid 
in one-half the subjects. The nose varies little; it is finely aquiline, but is low and, at 
the tip, flat and wide; the line of junction with the forehead is rather high. The 
lips are frequently thick, but do not project much, as the thickness is largely vertical. 
The forehead is quite high, and in women is likely to be covered with fine black 
down. The legs of men are apt to be notably hairy. The skin is dark brown (16), 
and is smooth and soft. The oblique eyes and some degree of projection of the lips 
are more marked in young than in older subjects. . The round ears are quite closely 
set to the head: the border of the helix above is thin and roUed-in or flat, below it is 
flat and thick to thin; the lobe is relatively large, attached, and round — varying to 
square or triangular. 

In women the nose is less frequently aquiline and is often short and fat at the 
tip. The lips are thick and, often, project. Prognathism, in part due to large front 
teeth, appears rather commonly among them. Twenty-two mothers had borne one 
hundred and eleven children, of whom sixty-five have died. One woman was 
barren. 

The hair rarely turns gray or grows thin before the age of fifty years. Old 
persons appear fairly preserved. This is the more surprising as the tribe is terribly 

76 



Frederick Stare 



27 




FKi. IJ. ZAPOTEC WOMAN; MITLA. STATE OK OAXAl^'A 

addicted to druiikenin'ss. We incline to attribute this abuse of intoxicants to climatic 
conditions. Cold and heavy fogs sweep up the mountains from the coast daily and 
their chill penetrates to the very bone. Wherever, in the high mountains, fogs are 
abundant and precipitation occurs almost constantly, we find the same c(jnditions. 
The Mixes and the Chinantecs, in their magnificent, forest-clad, abundantly-watered 
mountains, are almost equally addicted to drink. 



THE ZAPOTECS 

The population of Mitla is ordinarily considered Mixtec-Zapotec, rather than 
truly Zapotec. If the Zapotecs of Tehuantepec are typical, these of Mitla certainly 
occupy an intermediate position between them and the Mixtecs. The tpye is not well- 
defined. The average stature, 15S6.4, places them in the category of " little statures;" 
the finger-reach is rather low; the cephalic index is sub-brachycephalic ; the nose is 
mesorhinian. The hair is black, but it varies in form toward wavy or curly in one 
case out of four. There is no beard on the upper cheeks in GO jier cent., none on the 
lower in ()9 per cent., of cases; there is a medium beard growth on the tip of the 
chin; the moustache is heavier at the ends, being short and scanty at the middle. 
After fortv years the beard growth is heavier, but merely emphasizes this distribution. 



28 



Physical Chakacteks of Indians of Southern Mexico 



In twenty subjects the eyes were brown instead of dark brown. Oblique eyes are 
uncommon; only six cases presented any degree of obliquity. The nose is large, but 
is seldom aquiline; rather, the bridge is long and straight or slightly sinuous; the line 
of junction with the forehead is from high to medium. Lips are of moderate thick- 
ness, and project but little. Ears are round, and vary much in their relation to the 
head ; the upper border of the helix is thin and rolled in, the lower border is flat and 
varies from thick to thin; the lobe is large, attached, and round to triangular. 
Cheek-bones are, not rarely, prominent, and broad lower faces are common. One case 
of cataract was observed. 

The male subject illustrated on the preceding page (Fig. 11, p. 2(jj was exhibited 
at the eleventh session of the Congress of Americanists as a type, reproducing, as it 
does, in many ways that shown in ancient works of art. He is hardly a good example 
of the type, as we have defined it, as his aquiline nose and rather heavy beard are 
exceptional. 

The women of the tribe present no special features for detailed comment. Twenty 
mothers had borne one hundred and twenty-five children, of whom fifty-eight were still 
living. Two women were unmarried, and one was childless. These Zapotec women 
present a notable frankness and gayety, as compared with the women in the preceding 
tribes, and are only equaled (and surpassed) in this regard by their sisters in the 
Tehuantepec district. 

TABLE XVI. ZAPOTECS 





Mes (1001 


Women (2.5) 




Mean Max. Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second linger. . . 

Finger-reach 

Height, sitting 

Width of shoulders 


1,586.4 

1,.S10.2 

593.0 

1,623.8 

8,30.5 

.352.6 

183.5 

148.7 

177.6 

113.5 

141.0 

49.3 

40.3 

62.5 


1,772 

1,494 

705 

1,788 

910 

392 

200 

167 

202 

127 

155 

57 

50 

74 


1,432 
1,195 

512 
1,451 

740 

.318 

171 

1.38 • 

157 

100 

125 
41 

a3 

49 


1,474.9 
1,212.0 
557.0 
1,505.0 
782.8 
.330.2 
175.8 
144.3 
169.7 
106.8 
134.8 
45.3 
.36.8 
58.5 


1,570 

1,.329 

628 

1,661 

853 

,358 

182 

158 

188 

123 

144 

50 

45 

70 


1,403 
1,131 
505 
1,.380 
722 
296 
166 


Breadth of head 

Height of face {at 

Height of face (b 


1.34 
146 
100 
127 


Height of nose 


41 
,30 


Length of ear 


53 




45.1 
102.3 
52.3 
22.1 
81.0 
80.8 
■124.3 
81.9 


47.9 
107.4 
55.9 
24.3 
89.2 
89.5 
139.0 
102.3 


40.5 
96.6 
47.8 
19.9 
73.5 
68.3 
108.6 
65.3 


44.3 
101.9 
53.0 
22.3 
82.0 
79.6 
126.5 
81.2 


48.3 
108.1 
55.8 
24.3 
89.1 
91.0 
1.34.3 
95.2 


.39.1 


Finger-reach inde.\ 

Sitting-height index 


96.9 
50.6 
20.5 




75.7 


Facial inde.x (a) 


71.2 
107.3 




66.6 







Fredebick Starb 



29 




FIO. Kl. MIXK: COATLAN, STATK OF OAXACA 



THE MIXES 

The Mixos aro of little stature, and are exceptionally strongly built; their muscles 
are well developed, and their men are famous as carriers; the cliest development is 
good. The arms ai-e the shortest observed (i-t.l)), but tlu'ir finger-reach (103.3) 
is fairly high. The liair is black and straight: there were fifteen cases of gray, 
or gray-sprinkled hair, and sixteen with a tendency to wavy and curly. Twelve 
subjects had really gray, and nine gray-sprinkled beards; there were eight cases of 
black-brown, brown, or red-brown beards. The beard on the upper cheeks is scanty, 
on the lower cheeks there is none or it is scanty, on the chin it is medium or scanty ; 
the moustache is medium. The moustache appears first, the chin Ijcard next; when — 
as is common in older subjects — there is a medium, or even full, growth on the upper 
and lower cheeks, there is a clear space between. The eyes are dark brown, with S {)er 
cent, of lighter occurrences: they are rarely oblique — in about 5 percent.; they are 
widely separated. The line of union of the nose and forehead is high and of medium 
width; the nose is fat, flat, and broad, with nostrils somewhat transversely spread. 
The mouth is large and lips are thick and projecting; the mouth is rarely kept closed. 
Prognathism is common. The lines from the sides of the nose to the ends of the lips 
are deeply creased. Ears are often irregular and are usually close to the head; the 

79 



30 



PHYSIC.A.L Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 



upi)er helix border is rolled in and thin, while the lower border is flat and thick; the 
lobe is large, attached, and round. The face is low and is broad across the cheeks. 
The skin is dark brown, (13) being most common and (16) next. 

The female ij]>e was noted as "wide face above; lower face wide; nose broad and 
flat ; nostrils nearly circular and close to the face. " This description applies as well 
to the youthful male type. To twenty-three mothers, one hundred and sixty children 
were born of whom eighty -four still lived; the largest family contained sixteen children. , 

The occurrence of erythrism at Ixcuintepec is famous through the Mixe country. 
In one family are several red-heads; we saw two males of this family. The hair was 
a rich and handsome blackish red — in the shade, in a dull light, it would pass for 
black ; in good light the red was evident. Among our hundred males four had cata- 
ract (one, an old man, had both eyes affected). One woman was goitrous. Goitre is 
not infrequent in this region of fine mountain brooks. At Camotlan, with a popula- 
tion of 113 persons, there were six cases of goitre — four females and two males; there 
were three deaf-mutes, who were not children of goitrous parents; and there was one 
case of congenital deformation, with no legs and with deformed arms and hands. Our 
measurements, taken at Ajutla, Juquila, Ixcuintepec, and Coatlan. no doubt represent 
the type adequately, but we regret that the work was not done at Ocotepec, where 
the people appear to be exceptionally pure and the ty})e finely marked. 



TABLE XVII. MIXES 





Men (100) Women- (25) 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. Mean 


Max. 


Min. 




1,574.4 


1,714 

1,423 

663 

1,809 

905 

422 

200 

160 

200 

131 

155 

62 

48 

79 


1,553 1,458.4 
1,195 ' 1,199.2 
520 i 538.2 
1,456 1 1,478.9 
752 : 774.0 
309 ; 322.9 
165 1 178.3 
140 ' 142.9 
154- 1 167.0 
103 105.6 
132 ia3.3 


1,648 

1,346 

617 

1.712 
855 
.365 
188 


1,326 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 

Sitting height 

Width of shoulders 


1,.302.2 
583.8 

1,628.1 
822.4 
357.4 
184.5 


1,073 
454 

1,385 
681 
288 
165 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 


150.7 
177.0 
116.8 
143.5 
49.7 
39.0 
02. 2 


153 132 
184 152 
117 93 
143 118 




41 
31 
50 


44.4 
34.9 
60.6 


49 i 37 


Breadth of nose 


40 ! 30 
73 i 49 








44.0 
103.3 
52.1 
22.6 
81.8 
80.8 
122.9 
78.8 


48.7 
108.6 
54.8 
25.8 
97.5 
94.1 
138.4 
102.3 


40.6 
99.9 
48.3 
20.7 
71.7 
70.1 
110.5 
56.4 


44.7 
101.3 
53.0 
22.1 
80.1 
79.9 
126.4 
79.0 


46. G 1 42.4 


Finger-reach inde.x 

Sitting-height index 


105.9 97.1 
55.6 49.8 
24.4 • 20.6 


Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 

Facial index {b) 


87.2 
88.1 
144.0 
100.0 


74.1 

71.8 

111.9 

66.6 

















Fkederick Starr 



31 




FIG. II. TKIUW.NTKI'EC ZAPOTEC; S.\X UL.V.S, ST.VTK OF O.W.VCA 



THE ZAPOTECS OF TEHUANTEPEC 

The Zapotecs of Tehuanteiiec probably present the finest Zapotec type, although 
they probably have some admixture of Spanish blood. They are (he tallest tril)e 
visited, having a mean stature of IfiOo; in cephalic index they are close to the Mixtec- 
Zapotecs of Mitla; they are mesorhinian. The hair was gray, or turning to gray, m 
seventeen cases, and was brown in three; the usual formula — "black, straight" — 
fails in 48 percent, of cases. The distribution of beard is much as usual: less than 
half had anv beard mi llic n|ipi'r cheeks, three-f'ourtlis had iKine un the lnwer cheeks, 
forty-six had a meiliuai, and thirty-six a scanty, growth on the chin, while three- 
fourths had a medium moustache growth ; 37 per cent, of the subjects have light or 
gray beard. Eyes are usually dark brown, but there were seventeen cas(>s of brown. 
light brown, or gray; few- are oblitjne in any degree. The line of union betweiii 1lie 
nose and forehead is from high to medium and rather narrow; though the nose is 
long and high, it is often flat and thick at the end. The lips vary from medium to 
thick and project somewhat. The ears are, rather frecjuently, irregular, and project 
from the head; the edge of the helix is thin and rolled in above, thick (or thin) and 
fiat })elow; the lobe is large, attached, and variable in form. A certain narrow, large- 
featured, hatchet face is rather common, and is represented in the cut. The skin color 

81 



32 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 



TABLE XVIII. ZAPOTECS (TEHUANTEPECANOS) 





Men (99) 


Women (25) 




Meau 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Mill. 


stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 

Height, sitting 

Width of shoulders 


1,605.0 

1,325.2 

589.7 

1,666.9 

8.30.0 

,361.2 

ia5.3 

150.2 

181.1 

114.8 

142.4 

50.2 

40.1 

&3.7 


1,7.30 

1,448 

6a3 

1,826 

905 

395 

199 

163 

201 

1.32 

155 

58 

49 

77 


1,476 

1,220 

520 

1,4.54 

765 

.314 

171 

1.39 

160 

99 

129 

42 

.34 

52 


1,509.4 
1,245.8 
569.5 
1,540.1 
793.4 
333.0 
176.6 
145.6 
171.8 
107.4 
136.0 
44.7 
.36.2 
59.3 


1,6.30 

1,349 

630 

1,729 

852 

362 

191 

155 

191 

116 

150 

.50 

42 

64 


1,403 
1,157 
530 
1,415 
754 
295 
158 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 

Breadth of face 


1,33 
149 
99 
125 




40 


Breadth of nose 


29 
52 








45.7 
103.8 
51.6 
23.0 
81.1 
78.7 
124.1 
80.0 


49.0 
110.2 
.55.8 
25.0 
89.5 
88.0 
1.37.3 
102.1 


,37.9 
94.5 

48.2 
20.1 
73.3 
70.5 
106.8 
64.2 


44.7 
101.9 
52.6 
22.0 
82.5 
79.2 
126.7 
81.0 


47.6 
107.8 
55.2 
23.8 
92.4 
87.9 
140.2 
93.3 


42.0 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index 

Shoulder index 


95.6 
49.2 
19.2 

76.3 


Facial index (a) 

Facial index {b) 


73.5 
118.9 

a3.o 







varies but the commonest tint is (16) and the next is (13), so it may hv described as 
dark brown. 

Women give the impression of being larger and better built than the men. Tlys 
is not actually the case, but the maximum stature of the women is greater than the 
mean stature of the men. This is true of only four other tribes in the list — Mixes, 
Mixtecs, Triquis, and Tarascans. In enterprise and vivacity the women are distinctly 
superior. For personal beauty the Tehuantepec women are famous: all travelers 
emphasize the fact and some assert that they are the handsomest women in the world. 
Much of this favorable impression is due to their fine forms, their free and graceful 
movement, and their straightforward and fearless manner. Women of middle age 
tend toward stoutness and some cases of real obesity occur. 

We have already stated that the Mitla Zapotecs are intermediate between the 
Tehuantepecanos and the Mixtecs. The accompanying table shows this: 

Stature 

Mixtecs 1561.3 

Zapotecs (M.) 1586.4 
Zapotecs (T.) 1605.0 

In only three of these nine details do they occupy any but the intermediate place, and 
in those three the difference between the two Zapotec types is small. Facts, then, bear 
out the common idea that the people of Mitla are a Mixtec-Zapotec mixture. 

82 



Arm 


Finger-reach 


Sitting 


Shoulder 


Cephalic 


Facial 


(')) 


Nasal 


11.8 


102.1 


52.2 


22.6 


81.9 


80.0 


125.7 


83.1 


45.1 


102.3 


52.3 


22.1 


81.0 


80.8 


124.3 


81.9 


45.7 


103.8 


55.8 


23.0 


81.1 


78.7 


124.1 


80.0 



Feedebick Starr 



33 



THE JUAVES 

These sea-side, lagoon-frequenting Indians j)resent a well-marked type. Their 
average stature falls just short of " below mean: "' the cephalio index is just shoit of 
su[)ra-brachyc-{>plialy ; their nasal index, while the least observed, is still mesorliinian. 
The hair is straight and black; there were nine cases of gray hair, and twenty -eight 
that were more or less wavy or curly. The beard presents greater variation: there 
were fifteen cases which were somewhat gray and thirty-two which were brown (n- 
black-brown. There was total lack of Ix'ard on the upper cheeks in sixty-nine cases, 
and straggling iiairs in twenty-two; there was no l)earil on the lower ciiceks; on the 
chin the growth varied from medium to scanty, but was contined to tiie tip and a 
vertical median linr. ( )ut of nine cases that present a medium growth on th(> u[)[)er 
cheeks, eight were gray or l)rown; in the few cases where there was a scanty growth 
on the lower cheeks, all were gray or brown. These facts raise the sus[)icioii of 
mixture of bloods in cases of notable beard growth. The eyes are dark brown; in the 
eight cases where brown eyes were observed, the hair or beard was gray, bnjwn, or 
black-brown, straight-wavy, or straight-curly; the eyes show no tendency to obliquity. 
The nose is enormous, prominent and aquiline; this is true even in women and boys; 
among the latter, however, it is lower and .somewhat flat. The line at the junction of 
nose and forehead is high and from narrow to medium; the bridge is often narrow; the 
tip is rarely thick and is, sometimes, even hooked. The mouth is large, the lips thick, 



T.\BLE .\1.\. -n AVES 





Men (100) 


Women (25) 




Mean 


Man. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of .shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 


1,599.6 

1,.322.9 

592.8 

1,644.4 

8;50.9 

.3.54.8 

181.3 

153.1 

177.1 

116.2 

145.0 

50.3 

38.1 

64.3 


1,7.33 

1,451 

678 

1,775 

897 

.393 

199 

171 

200 

129 

160 

58 

45 

77 


1,473 

1,217 

535 

1,473 

770 

314 

162 

140 

162 

104 

134 

42 

32 

55 


1,463.0 

1,203.0 

539.2 

1,505.5 
782.6 
,326.2 
172.3 
148.2 
167.5 
106.8 
1.37.4 
44.7 
.^5.7 
58.3 


1,5,37 

1,281 

.599 

1,595 

821 

.351 

ia3 

164 
182 
116 
150 
51 
41 
64 


1,375 
1,103 

478 
l,.3a3 

739 


Width of shoulders... 

Lenfith of head 

Breadth of h.-ad 

Heifjht of face (a) 

Height of face (6) 

Breadth of face 

Height of nose 


296 
1.55 
1.33 
149 
94 
121 
.38 
.30 


Ear length 


53 






.\rm index 

Finger reach index 

Sitting height index . . . 

Shoulder index 

Cephalic index 

Facial index (o) 


45.5 
102.7 
51.8 
22.3 
84.5 
81.5 
124.9 
76.0 


48.4 
107.2 
53.9 
25.2 
93.7 
92.5 
139.4 


42.4 
96.3 
49.6 
20.2 
74.3 
74.3 
107 


4.5.0 
102.9 
53.4 
22.2 
86.0 
&3.1 
130.3 


47.9 
106.8 
.56.0 
24.1 
95.9 
91.0 
144 9 


42.3 
98.8 
51.2 
20.1 
76.2 
75.2 
115.6 




100.0 62.2 


80.2 93.0 


65.2 















83 



34 



Physical Chaeactees of Indians of Southern Mexico 




FIG. i:.. JUAVE: SAN" MATEO DEL MAR, STATE OF OAXACA 

and the upi)er li]) often projects. The cheek-bones are high ; the lower face varies and 
may be 1 >road or narrow. Ears vary little and are not large ; the upper part of the 
car frequently stands well off from the head — the lower part rarely does; the upper 
part of the border of the helix folds over, sometimes closely and flattened; the lower 
part is flat and thin, though the very edge may be thickened and slightly raised; the 
lobe is large, attached, and triangular. The skin color is commonest at (16), then 
at (18). 

The women show rather more variation than the men; they are lighter in 
color, there being twice as many at (18) as there are at (10). As regards fecundity, 
twenty-four women had borne one hundred and fifty-seven children, of whom more 
than half (eighty-six) were dead. Two women out of twenty-five had cataract of 
the eyes. 

Especial interest attaches to this tribe of Indians. Their manner of life is 
peculiar; they have a language whose affinity with other Mexican languages is 
unknown, and they are believed to have come from somewhere farther south — from 
Central America or South America. 

Francisco Belmar has recently published a study of the language of the Juave 
tribe, and Nicolas Leon has prepared a summary of what has heretofore been written 
about them. 

84 



Frederick Starr 



35 




FIU. IC. JIAVK WOMAN: SAN MATKO DKI. MAR, STATK UK OAXACA 



THE CHOXTALS 

A first glanco gives the imi)ression that the Chontals are sadly mixod. Their 
frequently curly hair, light skin, and light eyes suggest blood mixture. As their 
c-hief town lies upon a uuich traveled high-road, the possibility of such a mixture is 
admitted. But if it has taken place the work has been thorough, and the resulting 
type is quite as uniform as many of those in southern Mexico. Usually the range 
in character and indices is considered indicative of purity or mixture. In our nine 
general tables the range in stature is the only ma.rimiiiii shown by the Chontals; in 
four indices the range is considerable, though not a maximum; in four the range is 
less than that of one-half of the tribes, and in two of these (one of them the nasal 
index) it is relatively small. The type, then, is tiot a bad one. If there is notable 
mixture, probably negro l)looil, as well as white, is present. The Chontals, with 
a stature of l,r)',)S.O mm., are near near the taller end of our trilies; they are sub-brachy- 
ce[)halic; the nasal index is low. The hair is black and straight, but in thirty-five 
cases out of eighty it showed variation in form and in sixteen out of eighty cases 
showed variation in color. Ten cases were distinctly curly, while three were brown or 
dark brown. The beard was gray, or sprinkled with gray, in thirty subjects; it was 
curly in several. Many subjects had no beard on the upper cheeks, but thirty-one 

85 



36 



Physical Characteks of Indians of Southern Mexico 





Y 



i^ 



fig. 17. CHONT.VL: TEQITIXI.STL.W, STATE OF OAXACA 
TABLE XX. CHONTALS 





Men (80) 


Women (23) 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 




1,598.0 

1,325.0 

595.2 

1,648.6 

825.4 

351.7 

180.3 

149.9 

177.6 

113.7 

141.7 

50.5 

39.0 

62.4 


1,768 

1.488 

678 

1,821 

905 

386 

192 

160 

200 

129 

151 

56 

47 

73 


! 

1,391 1.480.6 


1,5&3 

1,305 

612 

1,609 

857 

347 

185 

153 

188 

115 

148 

53 

44 

77 


1,383 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 


1,141 

540 

1,415 

728 

308 

162 

139 . 

145 

102 

126 

45 

32 

55 


1,218.6 

548.8 

1,503.6 

788.0 

326.4 

176.1 

144,5 

170.0 

107.7 

137.5 

46.0 

36.5 

61.0 


1,130 

483 

1,410 


Height, sitting 

Width of shoulders 


749 
298 
177 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 


132 
155 
100 
124 




40 




30 




52 








45.6 
103.1 
51.6 
21.9 
83.2 
79.9 
- 124.7 
77.2 


51.1 
110.0 
55.2 
23.8 
93.5 
93.7 
138.4 
94.0 


42.6 ; 45.1 


48.4 
106.5 
55.1 
24.1 
87.7 
87.5 
136.2 
91.6 


42.7 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height inde.x .... 


98.4 
47.3 
19.2 
75.6 
70.4 
108.1 
61.5 


101.5 
53.1 
22.0 
82.0 
81.0 

127.6 
79.4 


95.7 
50.7 
20.1 




76.6 




72.0 


Facial index (b) 


114.8 
63.2 







Frederick Stark 



37 




KKt. IS. CHONTAL WOMAN: TEQUIXISTLAN, STATE OF OAXACA 

subjects showed a scanty to medium i^rowtli ; only a third had any at all on tht> lower 
cheeks; more than half had a medium growth upon the chin; five-eighths had a 
medium and almost all the others a full moustache. This remarkable predominance 
of the moustache over the rest of the beard appears real, and not the result of shaving. 
The eyes are dark brown; only seven varied (one of these was blue-gray); they are 
widely spaced and are horizontal. The nose is large and rather long, often somewliat 
convex along the ridge; the root is high anil narrow. , '10(1 often presents a broad 
plateau, pinched up into a narrow ridge just where it joins the forehead. The ii|)s 
are thin to medium ; the upper lip is vertical or slightly projecting. The ear is round, 
stands off from the head, and is thin and rather open ; the upper border of the helix 
is thin and rolled inward, the lower bonier is thick to thin and tiat ; the lobe varies in 
size and attachment, but is usually round. The color of the skin varies somewhat 
in individuals, but the commoner shades are represented by (13), (23), and (Ki) in 
our color-plate. 

Women fairly present the same type. More than one-half of them gave skin 
color at (13). Their lips are more frequently fhi<k and they an' sometimes prog- 
nathic. Two of the women whom we examined had never borni' children; l)ut 
twenty-two mothers had given birth to one hundred and thirteen children, of whom 
sixty-seven had died. 

87 



38 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 




FIG. i'X fUICATEC: PAP.VLO, STATE OF OAXACA 



THE CUICATECS 

The Cuicatecs present less uniformity of type than any other tribe examined. 
After having examined the whole series of subjects there was no satisfactory type- 
picture in mind. They are of little stature, sub-brachycephalic (with many mesati- 
cephalic individuals), and mesorhinian. The hair is black and straight : twelve 
subjects were somewhat gray, one was brown, and one blackish red ; some degree of 
waviness or curliness was observed in fourteen cases. The common beard formula 
was: none [or scanty), none, scanty to mediuai ; medium to full; where beard 
occurred on the cheeks it was well forward. The eyes are dark -brown, widely spaced, 
and horizontal. Two nose forms were rather common ; these, notwithstanding their 
differences, might be combined in one person : (o) long, not aquiline, sinuous, with 
the bridge often curiously broadened in the upper third of its length ; (//) crest or 
ridge concave, wide and fat at bottom, with round, quite widely separated, nostrils. 
With the latter type of nose there was usually associated a fat and broad lower face. 
Not infrequently, at the root, the nose is pinched up into a narrow ridge upon a wider 
plateau, which widely separates the eyes. The lips are thick and often project. The 
ears are rather close to "the head ; the upper border of the helix is rolled in and thin ; 
the lower border is thicker and flat ; the lobe is large, attached, and round (triangular). 



Fredekick Starr 



39 



The color of the skin is most frequently at (23) : after this come (13) and (23-13). 

Of all Mexican Indians visited by us these were the least agreeable, the least 
intellio;ent, and the most stubborn. We had hojied this bad impression was peculiar 
to ourselves, but tind that they bear much the same reputation among others who have 
come into contact with them. 

In four cases there was some degree of ijaldness. One cataract was noticetl. One 
subject |)n'scii1f(l a cuiious disease affecting the finger nails; tlu^se were enormous, 
thick, and smooth. The subject attributed the condition to his working constantly in 
cold water. Two other cases were observed, but they were not deveK)ped in anything 
like the same degree. 

Eight women were more or less gray, and two presented some curliness of hair; 
four had brown eyes. The long sinuous nose al)ove descrilied is rather common among 
them. Twenty-four mothers had borne one hundred and fourteen children, of whom 
seventv still lived ; one woman was unmarried. 



TABLE XXI. CUICATECS 





Men (1001 


Women (25) 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. Min. 




1,.562.3 


1 7.3fi 


1,365 

1,111 

500 

1,400 


1,450.0 

1,189.9 

544.5 

1 4(ri 1 


1,524 
1,2.55 
589 
1,578 
829 
.T)2 
182 
1.54 

las 

118 

141 

51 

40 

68 


1,.313 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 


1,286.4 1,478 
578.5 690 

1,601.7 1,815 
823.3 1 88;^ 


1,070 
468 

1,.362 
093 


Height sittin" 


729 ; 77(5 8 


Width of shoulders 

Length of head 

Breadth of head 

Height of face {a\ 

Height of face [b 


.351.6 
181.5 
147.6 
175.8 
112.5 
139.1 
48.3 
38.6 
60.1 


391 

204 

162 

200 

125 

155 

57 

45 

71 


311 

170 

1.37 

156 

103 

125 

41 

31 

51 


323.6 

173.0 

141.0 

162.8 

105.6 

1.31 .0 

44.0 

34.6 

57.8 


297 
165 
i:!4 
142 
96 
123 


Height of nose 

Breadth of nose 


.36 
.30 
52 








45.1 
102.4 
52.6 
22.4 
81.3 
79.3 
123.8 
80.2 


47.5 
109.4 
56.8 
24.3 
90.1 
96.8 
1.38.3 
100.0 


40.2 
94.3 
48.6 
20.4 
72.5 
68.9 
104.0 
05. 4 


44.4 
101.0 
53.5 
22.2 
81.6 
80.6 
124.0 
78.9 


47.4 
104.3 
56.8 
23.8 


42.5 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index 


96.5 
50.9 
21 .3 


Cephalic index 

Facial index (o) 

Facial index {b) 


92.7 1 75.8 
89.7 69.3 
1.32.0 j 114.9 
100.0 1 66.6 















THE CHINANTECS 

These mountain Indians present a tine type, with two weil-detined sub-types — 
youthful and mature. The}' are of little stature sub-brachyce|)halic, and meso- 
rhinian. The youthful type has a broad, flat nose, with a straight ( or occasionally 
concave) ridge and a flat tip; the eyes are widely spaced and often oblique; the 
mouth is large, with thick lips, of which the upper projects notably beyond the lower; 

89 



F IXDI.WS OF SoiTHEKX Ji K X I < 




FIG. 20. CHIN.VNTEC; S.\N JU.VN Z.\UTL.\, ST.\TE OF O.VX.VCA 



TABLE XXII. CHINANTECS 







Men (100) 






Women (23) 






Mean 


Max. 


Mln. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second linger 

Finger-reach 


1,575.8 

1,297.4 

582.2 

1,608.1 

847.8 

353.4 

181.4 

151.9 

176.8 

115.6 

145.0 

50.4 

39.9 

62.9 


1,700 

1,428 

657 

1,793 

935 

390 

203 

168 

202 

132 

163 

61 

50 

73 


1,430 

1,155 

498 

1,432 

782 

323 

165 

140 - 

157 

101 

135 

42 

34 

56 


1,398.8 

1,143.4 

505.9 

1,409.5 

763.3 

322.2 

176.6 

146.0 

167.4 

104.8 

135.9 

45.2 

37.4 

60.7 


1,503 

1,263 

583 

1,540 

831 

351 

186 

155 

175 

114 

142 

52 

45 

71 


1,308 
1,076 

466 
1,345 

710 


Width of shoulders 


285 
165 


Breadth of head 

Height of face {a.) 

Height of face (b) 


130 
144 
96 
128 




40 


Breadth of nose 


33 
52 








45.4 
102.8 
53.9 
22.4 
83.7 
82.2 
• 125.7 
79.6 


48.8 
109.9 
56.6 
24.5 
96.4 
94.2 
146.2 
97.8 


41.8 
93.6 
51.4 
20.5 
74.0 
73.3 
106.9 
59.3 


45.5 
103.1 
54.5 
22.9 
82.7 
81.2 
129.8 
82.9 


47.8 
107.5 
57.4 
24.6 
90.3 
88.8 
139.6 
97.5 


43.4 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index .... 


99.5 
52.2 
21.4 




75.8 


Facial index (a) 


75.7 
120.1 




71.4 







90 



Frederick Starr 41 



the face is flat, and wide at the cheek-bones; the skin is dark (Ifi). With age this 
changes to the mature type. The nose becomes finely aquiline and moderately wide, 
or narrow, at the root; the upper li[) becomes less projecting; the skin lightens up to 
a certain age, after which it again darkens, becoming finally fixed at (23-4). 

The hair is straight and black; in three cases it was gray, in nine somewhat 
sprinkled with gray, and in two somewhat brown; seven cases were slightly wavy or 
curly. The beard was gray, or gray sprinkled, in fourteen, and brownish in seven. 
cases. The commonest beard formula was: medium (or none), none, scanty; medium. 
The scanty chin beard is almost ccjntiued to the point and a middle vertical line. 
Several subjects, particularly among tlu? youthful type, showed a fine, black, downy 
growth upon the forehead. Eyes are dark brown, often widely separated, and rather 
frequently (there were nineteen cases) oblique. Eyebrows are frequently continuous. 
While the nose in the mature type is finely aquiline, it is not large and is often low. 
The lips are moderately thick and somewhat projecting. The ear is round and close 
to the head; the border of the upper part of the helix is rolled inward and thin; that 
of the lower part is flat and thick (thin) ; the lobe is large, attached and round. 

Fifty years appears to be a considerable age, and those claiming to be so old 
usually were wrinkled and had prominent lower, and shrunken upper, jaws. Several 
were pock-marked ; two had cataract. The fourth and fifth toes are frequently of the 
same length ; this peculiarity is also common among Triquis and Mixtecs. At San 
Juan Zautla, where there are but eighty coiifribHentes (there were formerly "ue 
liinidred and nine), imbecility is comuiou iuul we saw one deaf-mute. At San Pedro 
Zoochiapa conditions appear better. 

Women present no noteworthy features. In our series, two women were barren; 
the other twenty-three had borne one hundred and nine children, of whom thirty-six 
had died. 

THE CHOCHOS 

The Chochos are of little stature, sub-brachycephalic, and niesorhinian. Their arms 
are moderately long and their shoulder-width surpasses that of all the otlu'r tribes. 
The face tends to become low and round, with the niaxinium lireadtli. at the ehei'k- 
bones, larger than the maximum cranial breadth. The hair is black and straight: 
there were twelve cases gray, nine sprinkled with gray, and one brown: a tendency to 
curling, especially on top of the head, is noticeable; thinning of the hair on top of 
the head is rather common. The l)eard commonly follows the formula: medium (or 
none), none (or medium |, medium; medium. Fully one-half the subjects conformed 
to this formula, showing that the tribe is, relatively, heavily liearded. The beard was 
gray in seventeen, gray sprinkled in thirteen, and brown in seven, cases. The eyes 
are dark brown and well separated ; in thirty-eight subjects they were oblique. The 
nose is broad, with a fat. flattened tip: it tends, however, to become longer, and even 
aquiline, with age. The lips are thick and projecting. Ears are round and close to 

' 91 



[■J. 




FIG. 21. CHOCHO; COIXTLAHl" ACA, STATE OF OAX.VCA 



T.\BLE XXIII. 







Mex (100) 






Women- (2.5) 






Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 

Height, sitting 

Width of shoulders 


1,562.2 

1,285.5 

567.0 

1,609.0 

824.3 

.364.2 

187.6 

151.0 

179.9 

114.9 

144.0 

49.3 

40.6 

62.5 


1,684 

1,.368 

640 

1,810 

895 

403 

200 

165 

200 

126 

158 

61 

49 

77 


1,4.37 
1,172 

490 
1,434 

757 

.312 

171 

1.38 • 

159 

103 

134 
40 

a3 

54 


1,433.4 

1,169.2 

527.1 

1.467.9 

768.2 

329.9 

178.5 

147.0 

168.8 

106.5 

136.0 

43.5 

.36.4 

59.0 


1,524 

1,249 

600 

1,546 

828 

.359 

188 

151 

188 

118 

149 

50 

43 

66 


1,.375 
1,116 
450 
1,375 
720 
288 
170 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 

Breadth of face 


136 

155 

98 

129 


Height of nose 


37 
.32 




52 








45.9 
103.0 
52,7 
23.2 
80.5 
79.8 
■ 125.5 
82.6 


50.7 
111.7 
57.2 
26.1 
93.6 
95.7 
141.7 
102.3 


43.4 
97.2 
49.9 
20.1 
74.0 
69.5 
113.5 
60.0 


44.7 
102.6 
53.5 
22.9 
82.4 
80.7 
128.0 
84.0 


47.9 
107.3 
55.9 
24.7 
87.0 
94.3 
141.9 
97.6 


41.2 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index .... 


96.9 
50.5 
20.9 




75.1 




71.8 


Facial index (b) 


116.1 
68.0 







92 * 



Fredekick Starr 43 



the lieail; the helix hor<h>r is rulled in and thick above and Hat below; the lobe is 
large, slightly attaehed, and round. Tlie lower face is often lieavy and projecting. 
The color of the skin is (juite constant at (23). Overgrown exani|ilis of the youthful 
type occur; big, babyish fellows. A coarse, light type is also found. 

The Chochos gave us the ini[)ressi()n of being extremely cowardly. 

Women prescmt llie same tendency to obliquity of t]i(> eyes, broadness of nose, 
and lliickness and projeclii>n of li|is that the men do; they prrscnt the same 
uniformity in color, at the same shade. Twenty mothers in our series had hoi-nc 
ninety-ont' children, of whom forty-six hatl died; one woman was unmarrird. 

THE MAZATECS 

The Mazatecs. with a stature of 15-51.8 mm., art' the shortest of the tribes 
examined. They are suh-brachycephalic and mesorhinian. The head is frequently 
flattened behind, giving great apparent height. The hair is black and straight; only 
three cases were gray and five sprinkled with graj' ; thirteen subjects presented slight 
degrees of waviness or cnrliness; the hair was occasionally tliin on to|) of the head. 
The beard was gray in four, sprinkled with gray in six, and lirownish in seven, cases. 
The beard growth on the upper cheeks was medium, on the lower cheeks none, on the 
chin medium to scanty; the moustache was medium. The beard ap])ears late, and 
subjects from twenty-six to twenty-eight yeai-s of age often have none at all, or a 
scanty growth upon the chin (xnut and the upper lip. The face, at the cheek-bones, 
is wide, often as wide as tlie maximum cranial width. The nose is generally aquiline, 
though neither lai-ge nor prominent; the line of junction of the nose and forehead is 
high to medium and of medium width; the tip of the nose is often l)road and flat. 
The eyes are dark brown and widely separated; in twenty-eight subjects they were 
more or less oblique. The lips range from medium to thick and there is some progna- 
thism. The lower jaw is frequently wide and heavy-angled. The ear is round, and 
stands well off from the head; the border of the upper part of the helix is thin and 
rolled in, while that of the lower part is thick (-thin) and flat; the lobe is large, 
attached, and round-triangular. The skin color is most freipicntly at Cl'.l): next in 
frequency is (13-23); seventy-five of the cases fall within these two shades. 

Women present much the same type, but are more frequently prognathic. They 
tend to stoutness, and middle-aged women are sometimes fat. In our series were three 
barren women and one unmarried woman; seventeen motheis had borne ninety 
children, of whom forty-seven still survived. 

Three or four ca.ses were pock-marked. About the same number of persons were 
affected by purple i>iiil<i. The disease of jn'i/hi is little significant at Huauhtla, but 
we were told that at C'hichotla, which is at a considerable lower altitude, "almost 
everyone'" had it. In disposition Mazatec men are timid; women are less so and far 
more frank. 

93 



44 



Physical Chae.\cters of Indians of Southern Mexico 




MAZ.VTEC: HUAUHTLA, STATE OF OAXACA 



TABLE XXIV. MAZATECS 





Men (100) 


Women ii't) 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 


1,551.3 

1,274.6 

565.3 

1,617.6 

815.2 

360.6 

181.5 

150.9 

174.0 

112.9 

142.1 

48.5 

39.1 

62.1 


1,664 
1,394 

em 

1,760 

888 

401 

195 

165 

194 

127 

154 

57 

50 

72 


1,433 

1,174 

509 

1,505 

754 

328 

164 

141 ' 

154 

103 

130 

41 

30 

53 


1,452.7 

1,187.7 

548.6 

1,472.5 

772.2 

a33.5 

177.4 

147.0 

170.6 

107.4 

136.0 

44.2 

36.8 

60.3 


1,532 

l,2e5 

603 

1,584 

811 

369 

187 

159 

190 

117 

140 

52 

42 

69 


1,360 

1,095 

495 

1,395 


Height, sitting 

Width of shoulders 


727 
294 
164 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face {b) 


140 
156 
100 
130 




39 


Breadth of nose 


30 

54 






Arm index 

Pinger-reach index 

Sitting-height index .... 


45.5 
104.1 
52.5 
22.9 
83.2 
81.7 
125.9 
80.8 


48.1 
110.1 
56.1 
25.7 
93.9 
93.0 
143.2 


41.3 
99.7 
49.4 
21.3 

74.8 
72.2 
105.6 


43.9 
101.3 
53.1 
22.9 
82.9 
80.1 
126.6 
83.4 


46.2 
105.9 
55.3 
25.7 
90.2 
88.7 
136.6 
95.0 


41.4 
96.8 
50.2 
20.3 


Cephalic index 


76.5 
72.4 




114.5 




102.0 1 61.4 


73.1 











94 



Frederick Starr 



45 




lie _; TEPEHUA: HUEHUETLA, STATE OF HIDALGO 



THE TEPEHUAS 

The Tepehuas are of little stature, sub-brachycephalic, and mesorhinian. Their 
arms are long and their finger-reach index nears the upper limit in our list. The hair 
is straight and black; only four cases of the least sprinkling of gray were observed. 
There were twenty cases where the beard was more or less grayed. The formula of 
beard growth is: medium, none, scanty to medium; medium. The eyes are moderately 
separated, dark brown and, in a dozen cases only, slightly oblique. The nose is 
usually aquiline, but is neither large nor high; the line of union between nose and 
forehead is of medium height and breadth ; the ridge of the nose is occasionally 
sinuous; the tip is thick. The upper lip is often notably thick and projecting. The 
ear is variable in respect of standing oflf from the head; the border of the upper 
section of the helix is rolled in and thick, that of the lower section flat and thick ; the 
lobe is large, mostly attached, and i-ound. Tlie color is constant at (24-) in fifty per 
cent, of cases. 

Women present much the same type. Twenty-one women had borne one hundred 
and nine children, of whom fifty-two had died; one woman was childless. Almost 
everyone of this tribe had lost one or more incisor teeth ; this loss was generally 
attributed to the eating of panda, brown cake sugar, of which they are inordinately fond. 

95 



46 



Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 



TABLE XXV. TEPEHUAS 





Men (ion) 


Women (2.5) 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


MiD. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 


1,559.7 

1,284.5 

568.5 

1,632.0 

828.5 

357.0 

180.0 

151.2 

173.4 

113.7 

142.1 

47.7 

38.6 

61.7 


1,685 

1,405 

622 

1,790 

890 

403 

194 

164 

194 

137 

151 

55 

47 

74 


1,470 
1,204 
500 
1,512 
760 
313 
168 
136 
153 
97 
126 
32 
29 
52 


1,435.4 
1,182.8 
537.5 
1,478.4 
768.2 
328.8 
174.8 
148.0 
166.3 
103.8 
138.2 
42.8 
34.9 
59.0 


1,536 

1,287 
590 
1,594 
820 
354 
184 
159 
180 
114 
148 
49 
.39 
66 


1,362 

1,129 

483 

1,379 

728 


Width of shoulders 


297 
167 


Breadth of head 

Height of face («l 

Height of face {li} 


139 
138 
94 
128 


Height of nose 

Breadth of nose 

Length of ear 


3G 
31 
51 - 




45.8 
104.5 
53.0 
22.8 
84.0 
82.1 
125.4 
80.7 


51.2 
109.7 
58.2 
25.1 
92.4 
93.5 
150.8 
97.7 


42.9 
99.8 
50.4 
21.0 
75.2 
73.1 
103.6 

a3.o 


44.6 
102.9 
53.6 
22.8 
84.6 
82.3 
ia3.3 
81.5 


47.5 
107.9 
58.1 
24.0 
93.5 
91.9 
155.7 
97.5 


42.1 


Finger-reach inde.\- 

Sitting-height index 

Shoulder index 

Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 

Facial index {b) 


98. 
51.1 
20.9 
77.4 
74.1 
123.3 
68.3 











THE TOTONACS 

The Totonacs ai-e of little stature, supra-brachycephalic, having the largest index 
observed among our tribes (85.9), and mesorhinian. The arm, finger- reach, and 
sitting-height indices are all high. The Totonacs live in close contact with the 
Tepehuas, and we expected close resemblance between the two tribes. They present, 
however, some striking points of dissimilarity. The hair is straight and black; only 
one case of gray and six of gray-sprinkling were observed. The head remains black 
even after the beard is white, and a gray head signifies real age. The hair on the top 
of the head rarely thins. The beard was gray in eleven cases, and brown or brown- 
black in five ; frequently the tip of beard hair was brown or reddish-brown when the 
rest of the same hair was black. The beard distribution was after the formula — 
medium, none, medium; medium. The eyes are widely spaced, dark brown, and, in 
ten cases only, oblique. The nose, often aquiline, is usually low ; the line of union 
with the forehead ranges from high to medium, and has medium breadth ; the narrow 
ridge often extends as a beak beyond the alte. The lips are thick; the chin is often 
retreating. These two features combined render a notable prognathism common. 
The ear is round and close to the head ; the border of the upper part of the helix is 
thin (-thick) and rolled in; that of the lower part is flat and thick; the lobe is large, 
attached, and round. The cheek-bones are broad and high ; the face tapers dovmward. 
Broad lower faces and heavy jaw angles, so common among the Tepehuas, are unusual 

96 



l-'KroKRifK Stakk 




FKi. -li. TOTO.N.VC: P.VNTEPJOC, .STATE OK ITKHLV 



T.\BLE XXVI. 







Men (100) 




WoiiiA i-r.i 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 




1,.573.4 

1,.300.2 

581.0 

1,&38.2 

R37.6 

,359.1 

179.2 

1,53.8 

178.8 

115.9 

145.3 

49.4 

.39.0 

&3.2 


1,669 

1,.386 

619 

1,789 

918 

401 

109 

165 

206 

129 

158 

,56 

47 

74 


1,488 

1,214 

5.30 

1,528 

789 

.317 

164 

140 

153 

103 

1.35 

42 

a3 

54 


1,4.30.5 

1,173.8 

526.5 

1.475.9 

7.59.4 

.328.2 

173.5 

149.8 

168.8 

106.6 

1.38.1 

45.2 

.35.0 

61.0 


1,5.33 

1,265 

608 

1,.578 

817 

.357 

181 

161 

180 

118 

148 

51 

41 

68 


1,.332 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 


1,084 

461 

],.367 


Height, sitting 

Widtli of shoulders 


717 
295 
165 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (n| 

Height of face (,b) 


1.38 
1.58 
97 
1.30 


Heigiit of nose 

Breadth of no.se 

Length of ear 


40 
28 
.54 




45.5 
104.1 
53.2 
22.7 
a5.9 
81.4 
125.6 
79.1 


48.3 
110.0 
56.2 
25.1 
95.8 
94.7 
138.8 
97.7 


43.2 
99.4 
50.7 
19.7 
76.5 
73.8 
114.0 
60.7 


45.2 

ia3.i 

53.0 
22.9 
86.4 
81.8 
129.7 


48.4 
107.6 
5.5.7 
25.3 
92.7 
87.5 
142.5 
97.5 


.39.2 


Finger-reach inde.x 

Sitting-height inde.x 

Shoulder index 


98.5 
49.4 
21.0 
76.6 




75.1 




113.6 




58.3 







97 



48 Physical Chaeaoters of Indians of Southern Mexico 

among the Totonacs. The color of the skin is at (2-i) in more than two-thirds of the 
subjects. 

Women are notably small; many are prognathic. The hair of all women, who 
have reached the age of thirty years, is tipped with brown or reddish-brown. Twenty- 
three mothers had borne one hundred and thirty-one children, of whom sixty-five had 
survived ; two women were barren. 

THE HUAXTECS 

The Huaxtecs, of Tancoco, Vera Cruz, present a well mai-ked type — presumably 
that of the tribe as a whole. They are of little stature, and truly brachycephalic. 
The head is short and broad, but it is also notably flat behind. The hair is straight and 
black, but subjects, from thirty years of age upward, often show a sprinkling of gray. 
There is often no beard upon the lower cheeks, and that of the upper cheeks is sparse 
and straggling until middle life; the chin beard is usually confined to the tip and central 
line, but grows to a considerable length; the moustache is permitted to grow long, 
but is rarely heavy. The eyes are dark brown, rather widely spaced, and often 
mongoloid; occasionally they are oblique, but dipping slightly at the outer instead of 
the innm- corners; the eye-slit is often narrow. The nose, in younger subjects, is flat, 
wide, and with broad nostrils; beyond forty years of age it may become aquiline. 
The mouth is large, and the lips are thick; this thickness is in a vertical direction, 
and the lips project little, if at all. The face, as a whole, is flat, broad, and even 
square. The ear is well shaped, but usually stands quite off from the head; the 
helix border is thick, and the rather large lobe is round and attached. The skin color 
is light; the ground tint is (23), or (23) to (24:), but there is always a mixture of gray 
— (7) or (8) — with it. 

Women present much the same type, but their color lacks the gray tint so notice- 
able in the men, and is constant at (23) to (2-4). Fifteen women had borne fifty-five 
children, of whom twenty-two were dead. This series of women was unusually young, 
and this number is probably too small; we doubt, however, whether the fertility is 
great, as the Huaxtecs are clearly losing ground. 

The Huaxtec language belongs to the Maya family, and the tribe is considered a 
northward migrant from that great group. We- here place the indices and stature of 
the Huaxtecs and Mayas side by side: 

Arm Fiuger-reach Sitting-height Shoulder 

Huaxtecs 4.5.3 103.7 52.8 22.8 

Mayas 46. 105.6 51.7 23.1 

The differences are notable: in one or two indices only do the two tribes come some- 
what near together; they are frequently far apart. Comparison with some other 
tribe than the Mayas, of the same family, might prove suggestive. 



Cephalic 


Facial 


(b) 


Nasal 


Stature 


84.4 


79.1 


125.1 


78.3 


1570.3 


85.0 


83.4 


130.4 


77.6 


1552.4 



Frederick Starr 



49 




IIVAXTIX': TANCOCO, STATE OF VKRA (RfZ 
TABLE XXVII. HUAXTECS 



Stature 

HeiRht of shoulder . 
Tip of seeoiui tiiifier. 

l''iMf.'er reach 

lliii;ht, sittin<; 

Width of shoulders . 

Lenj,'lh of head 

Dnadth of head 

llrii^lit of face (o)... 
Hei^dit of face (?))... 

ISri'.idth of face 

nii;;ht of nose 

Breadth of nose . . . . 
Length of ear 



Arm index 

Kinger-reach index . 
SittiiiK height index , 

Sho\dder index 

( 'i'i>halic index 

Kacial index (a) 

Facial index {/)) 

Nasal index 



1.570.3 


1,693 


1,413 


1,472.7 


1,5:« 


1.40.3 


1.296.. 3 


1,390 


1,147 


1,213.0 


1,273 


i.m; 


582.8 


656 


515 


555.1 


617 


.")()2 


i,a'50.o 


1,791 


1,478 


l,,m3.8 


1,572 


1..398 


a30.8 


916 


7.'?8 


774.5 


827 


731 


.359.2 


396 


324 


327.2 


357 


:«-) 


177.8 


196 


162 


169.4 


180 


1.55 


150.1 


164 


140 


145.8 


158 


1.38 


177.5 


194 


154 


167.9 


180 


155 


113.4 


1.30 


101 


103.8 


113 


'.M! 


141.9 


152 


134 


1.34.2 


143 


129 


48.9 


56 


43 


42.4 


48 


.38 


38.1 


44 


28 


35.2 


40 


31 


63.5 


71 


57 


58.9 


64 


54 


45.3 


48.4 


40.0 


44.7 


48.9 


41.9 


103.7 


109.0 


99.5 


102.0 


1(X).5 


97.7 


52.8 


55.9 


49.7 


52.5 


54.1 


50.4 


22.8 


24.8 


20.9 


22.1 


23.4 


20.6 


84.4 


95.7 


75.7 


86.2 


93.8 


77.9 


79.1 


96.7 


72.6 


80.3 


87.7 


72.8 


125.1 


147.5 


115.5 


128.5 


140.6 


118.1 


78.3 


102.5 


57.1 


a3.2 


97.4 


72.3 



LofC. 



99 



50 



Physical Chaeactees of Indians of Southeen Mexico 





FIG.-JU. JIAVA; TEKAX, STATE OF YUCATAN 



THE MAYAS 

The Mayas are of little stature, with not one tall subject in the series. Their 
arms are the longest observed, and the finger-reach is the maximum, at 105.(5. They 
are next to the maximum in shoulder-breadth index. Their facial indices are the 
largest of our list, and their cephalic index next to the maximum. They have been 
characterized elsewhere as '■ short, dark, and brachycephalic." Short and brachy- 
cephalic they certainly are, but hardly dark. There are no cases at (16), so com- 
monly reached by some of our tribes; the most frequent color is (23) or (23) to (24). 
The hair is black and straight ; in six cases the color was lighter or gray, and in fifteen 
cases it showed a tendency toward wavy or curly. The beard was lighter in nineteen 
cases. The growth of the beard is moderately strong, and its distribution much as 
usual — scanty to medium on the upper cheeks, absent from the lower cheeks, scanty 
or medium upon the chin, and medium to full in the moustache. The eyes are dark- 
brown and widely separated; one-half the subjects presented a notable obliquity, 
though the character tends to disappear with age; in children it is almost universal 
and well marked. The nose is aquiline, though low, flat, and wide; the bridge is 
long, sometimes sinuous^ and often projects as a central beak beyond the alse. Lips 
are of moderate thickness and do not project much. The ear is well shaped and 

100 



Frederick Starr 



51 



stands well off from the head; the helix border is thiek, and is rolled in above and flat 
below; the lobe is of fair size, and is attached in about one-half tlie cases. While the 
heads are brachycei)halic, they are rarely flat behind. 

The subject represented in the cut on the preceding page (Fig. 20) ])reseiits a 
well marked snb-tyjie which is rather common. In this tyj^e the large round eyes are 
widely spaced, and almost stand off from the sides of the face; the nose projects but 
little, and tin- cliin still less, so tliat tlic iirotile prcsfiits an almost continuous simple 
curve. 

It is claimed that pure Mayas have a purple spot in the sacral region, on the 
back, which is called by the native name iiHs. If such a spot exists it is [)robably an 
infantile character like the similar spots which have been described among Japanese, 
Eskimo, and other mongoloid peoples. We examined three subjects expressly to find 
this sjK)t and found no trace of it ; the youngest of our subjects, however, was ten years 
old, and it is not unlikely that babies may be marked in this fashion. Among the 
hundred subjects examined by us we noticed that the little toe is often extremely 
short. 

The women of this tribe present no features which call for special comment. 
Twenty-three mothers out of the twenty-five of our list had borne a total of one 
hundred and thirty-three children, of whom fifty-five had died; one woman was 
unmarried. 

TABLE XXVIII. MAYAS 





Men (100) 


Women (2.i) 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 


1,552.4 

1,283.0 

567.7 

1,641.2 

8a3.7 

362.1 

181.8 

154.1 

173.4 

110.6 

144.2 

48.6 

,37.5 

61.7 


1,675 

1,410 

661 

1,758 

887 

:»2 

107 
168 
191 
124 
1.56 
(50 
42 
76 


1,4.52 

1,182 

■497 

1,495 

755 

318 

165 

1.35 

1.52 

99 

1,35 

42 

.33 

50 


1,415.2 

1,165.2 

528.4 

1,482.4 

728.9 

.325.4 

174.9 

148.7 

174.7 

101.2 

136.9 

4:3.3 

35.2 

61.2 


1.500 

1,246 

595 

1,560 

793 

35:3 

m3 

161 
186 
108 
145 
.52 
41 
73 


1,331 
1,074 
460 
1,415 
677 
287 
1C)7 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 

Height sitting 

Width of shoulders 


Breadth of head 

Heigth of face (a) 

Height of faeo(6) 

Breadth of face 


141 
1.55 
91 

i:?o 

.37 


Breadth of nose 


29 
56 








46.0 

105.6 

51,7 

23.1 

a5.o 

a3.4 
1.30.4 
77 . 5 


48.5 
111.7 
54.5 
25.3 
94.6 
95.0 
147.1 
93.0 


42.7 
100.2 
47.9 
21.0 
75.2 
.59.6 
111.5 
&3.3 


44.9 
104.7 
51.5 
22.9 
85.0 
78.4 
1.35.4 
81.8 


49.1 
111.4 
55.2 
24.8 
89.4 
87.7 
152.1 
105.1 


42.9 


Finger-reach inde.ic 

Sitting height index .... 

ShoiddiT index 

Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 

Facial index (b) 


99.6 
48.6 
20.6 
78.6 
71.5 
126.1 
68.8 







101 



52 Physical Characters of Indians of Southern Mexico 





ZOQUE: TUXTLA HUTIKHREZ. STATK OF CITIAPAS 



THE ZOQUES 

The type of the Zoques is not clearly defined. They are among the taller tribes, 
having a mean stature of 1,(5(10 mm., and only forty-nine of the hundred subjects fall- 
ing within the group of little statures. In regard to all other measurements they 
occupy an intermediate position. The skin color is light ; ( 23j is the most common 
tint, and (23-13) is next in frequency; women are a little lighter than men. The 
hair grays rather readily, and cases where it is slightly wavy or curly are not rare. 
The beard is scanty and straggling, or is entirely absent, although the moustache is 
fairly abundant. The eyes are dark brown and widely spaced; even a slight amount 
of obliquity is uncommon, and when it occurs is mostly in young subjects. The root 
of the nose is seldom depressed, but it is never really high; the bridge is straight, 
with a suggestion of concavity in young subjects, but becomes boldly aquiline and 
prominent in old persons. The upper lip is often notably, the lower feebly, developed; 
the lips project little, and when they are thick the thickness is vertical. The chin is 
often weak. The lower face is frequently broad, even as much so as the face at the 
level of the cheek-bones. The rather low forehead is frequently retreating, and, when 
this character is combined with wide cheek-bones and a slight occipital flatness, gives 
an impression of acrocephaly. This combination is not rare. The ear stands well off 

102 



Fbederiok Stabb 



53 



TABLE XXIX. ZOQUES 





Men (100) 1 Women (2.^)) 




Mi-an 


Max. 


Mill. Mi-an 


Max. 


Min. 




1,600.0 

1,.316.8 

.591.0 

1,651.8 

841.8 

.356.9 

182.3 

146.2 

175.7 

113.2 

1.39.5 

62.3 

37.8 

62.4 


1,766 

1,420 

646 

1,785 

908 

.393 

196 

161 

194 

127 

154 

76 

44 

76 


1,442 1.474.8 


1,.586 

1,.300 

618 

1,619 

845 

.367 

185 

151 

193 

113 

141 

51 

.39 

64 


1..372 


Height of shoulder 

Hill of second tinger .... 

Kint;er-re,aeh 

Hi'it,'lit, sittinfc 

Wulth of shoulders 

Leiif,'th of head 

I!reinlth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (6) 

Breadth of face 

Heiglit of nose 

Breadth of nose 

Ear length 


1,182 

501 

1,469 

721 

318 

171 

132 

1.55 

102 

127 

54 

32 

54 


1,210.5 

564.0 

1,497.5 

791.0 

.3.31.1 

175.7 

143.1 

172.0 

106.5 

1.38.0 

46.0 

.35.2 

58.5 


1.120 
498 

1..398 
717 
298 

ia3 

1.35 
154 
97 
125 
40 
31 
53 












45.4 
103.2 
52.5 
22.2 
80.2 
79.9 
123.2 
77.4 


.52.6 
108.6 
56.2 
25.4 


43.3 
96.6 
48.2 
19.7 


43.8 
100.9 
53.7 
22.4 


47.5 
106.2 
.56.4 
23.8 
86.3 
84.8 
140.2 


42.0 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting height index .... 


94.0 
50.5 
20.1 


Cephalic index 

Facial index (a) 


89.5 m.\ ! 81.4 
92.2 , 69.5 ' 77.9 
137.5 j 109.0 126.1 


76.7 

70.7 

116.3 




95.3 1 61.1 76.9 1 92.5 


64.0 















from tlie head; tlm upper sccUdii of the helix border is thin and rolled in, while the 
lower section is thick and tint : the lolie is large, attached, and ronnd (-square); it is 
not unfrequently free. 

Women present few peculiar features for consideration. Their nose is large and 
aquiline in a degree unusual in the sex; they are somewhat prognathic, though the 
lips protrude little, being thick vertically. Large families — ten, twelve, thirteen 
children — are not rare. Among our subjects were five unmarried women; the remain- 
ing twenty had borne one hundred and forty-three children, of whom tifty-six had 
died. The number of unmarried women is the largest we have observed. Woukmi 
generally show great asymmetry of shoulders, one being much higher tlian the other; 
a woman not thus affected is the exception. We attribute the condition to tlie peculiar 
mode in which these women carry babies. The child is slung at one side, lumg in a 
cloth band, which ])asses over the o[)posite shoulder. 

Pinto is a cominon disease among Zoques, occurring in both mm and women. 
No cases of tlie red iorni were seen, but the white and the liine were t'reciuent. and 
frequently occur in the same individual. The blue is most noticeable ui)on the face, 
where it forms connected patches, confluent reticulations, and " powder-dotting." 
Where blue pinto aib-cts the face, the hands and feet are quite likely to be blotched 
with white. In a few cases both kinds affected the extremities, which wi-re sometimes 
a mass of distinct or indistinct color-blotching. Thirteen cases were noted among the 
hundred men. and six among the twenty-five wimien. 

103 



54 



Physical Charactebs of Indians of Southern Mexico 



( )ii account of their linguistic relationship a comparison of the indices of the 
Zoques and Mixes becomes interesting. When we place the indices side by side we 
find a fair amount of agreement. 

.\rni Finger-reach Sittinf?-heiffht Shoulder 

Zoque 45.4 103.2 52.5 22.2 

Mixe 44.6 104.3 52.1 22.6 



Cephalic 


Facial 


W 


Nasal 


80.2 


79.9 


123.2 


77.4 


81.8 


81.8 


122.9 


78.8 



THE TZOTZILS 

In most respects the Tzotzils occupy an intermediate position. They have a great 
sitting height, short arms, and noses that are next to the broadest observed. They 
give the impression of having long heads, and in reality are only surpassed in actual 
head-length by the Otomis; as their stature is twenty-two millimeters less than that of 
the Otomis, this impression is really justified. The head is, however, relatively 
narrow. More than half of the subjects have the color (23 ) ; more than half the 
remainder are at ( 23-13 j; they are notably lighter than their neighbors and linguistic 
relatives, the Tzendals. There were fourteen cases where the hair was more or less 
gray, but only one where it was anything but straight. The beard is rather abundant; 
upon the upper cheeks there is a medium growth, the lower cheeks are generally bare, 
the chin beard is medium or even full, the moustache growth is medium. The eyes 
are widely separated and often oblique. While the focm of the nose is quite uniform, 
the line of its junction with the forehead varies; on the whole it is of medium height 

table XXX. tzotzils 





Men- (100) 


Women (2.5) 




Meau 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second finger 

Finger-reach 

Height, sitting 

Width of .shoulders 


1,559.0 

1,291.0 

588.2 

1,603.4 

a30.3 

346.9 

188.1 

144.6 

175.2 

113.3 

140.9 

48.1 

40.5 

62.1 


1,669 

1,421 

671 

1,725 

890 

379 

200 

156 

201 

132 

156 

60 

46 

76 


1,445 
1,165 

507 
1,447 

745 

309 

177 • 

135 

152 
99 

130 
42 

a3 

54 • 


1,441.3 

1,181.3 

545.4 

1,452.6 

783.6 

320.1 

179.7 

1.38.1 

166.8 

106.0 

132.7 

43.1 

.35.5 

58.1 


1,530 
1,281 
593 
1,562 
872 
.350 
191 
147 
187 
117 
144 
48 
.39 
65 


1,373 
1,129 
508 
1,340 
734 
280 
172 


Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 


130 
151 
100 
124 


Height of nose 


38 
33 


Ear length 


52 




45.0 


49.3 


41.2 
96.7 
49.1 
19.7 
68.5 
69.0 
107.5 
63.4 


44.0 
100.7 
54.2 
22.1 
76.8 
80.3 
125.3 
82.6 


47.2 
105.2 
60.5 
24.1 
81.9 
89.4 
142.5 
100.0 


41.2 


Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index .... 


102.7 i 106.7 
53.2 58.3 
22 2 24 3 


95.3 
51.0 
20.4 


Cephalic index 


76.9 
■ 80.6 


82.7 
93.4 


71.9 
71.6 


Facial index (b) 


124.7 
84.8 


144.4 
104.5 


110.7 
73.3 







104 



Frederick Starr 



55 




11(1. 2S. TZOTZIL: THAMrLA, STATE OF CHIAPAS 

and width, hut cli-arly ttmds to high and medium or even high and narrow; tlu' nose 
itself is low and fiat, with a short and thick tip. The lips are thick, and the u[)per lij) 
often projects notably. Ther(^ is little prognathism. The ear, which lies close to the 
head, is little and well shaped; the border of the helix is thick, and is rolled inward 
above, flat below; the lobe is large, attached, and round. 

Women show few points which need consideration. Tlieir nose is lower and 
thicker at the tip; tlicir lips are nion' projecting; they present greater prognathism: 
and their ears stand iA\' more. The answers secured regarding families are entitled to 
no consideration. 



THE TZENDALS 

In stature at I")")?.! the Tzendals are among the shorter <jf our tribes; only one 
case in the hundred was tall, while 75 per cent, were of ''little stature." Their 
sitting-height is only sur[)assed by that of the Chinantecs. Tlir arms are long and 
the finger-reach is great. The color is a fine dark-brown; it is more uniform than in 
most tribes; more than one-half the subjects were at (It)) and a considerable part of 
the others were at (13). The hair is straight and black; in ten cases it was slightly 
wavy or curly and in six of these it was gray or sprinkled with gray. Little or no 
beard appears before twenty-five years; at its first appearance it is scanty and onlv on 

105 



56 



Physical Characteks of Ixdians of Southern Mexico 




FIG. 2',). TZENDAL: TENE.TAPA, STATE OF CHIAPAS 



the upper cheeks and on the upper lip: at from thirty tn tliirty-five. there is a medium 
growth on tlie upper cheeks, none on the lower, scanty and short on the chin, while 
the moustache is from scanty to medium and short. The beard grays earlier than 
the hair of the head; a single svibject only approached baldness. The head is actually 
long, but the cephalic index, 76.8, is the minimum observed; only 14 per cent, reach 
brachycephaly. The maximum face-bi'eadth and head-breadth are much the same and 
were, in many cases, identical. The face is generally prognathic and the lips are 
thick and protruding. The nose is medium or short, and thick at the tip; the line at 
the junction of the nose and forehead is moderately high and the nose is there of 
medium width. The eyes are widely separated and about one-fifth of the subjects 
showed a slight degree of obliquity. Out of one hundred subjects three had lost one 
eye by inflammations. The ear is round, of medium size, and close to the head; the 
border of the upper portion of the helix is roUed-in and thick: that of the lower part 
is thick and flat : the lobe is from large to medium, attached and round. 

In women the color runs close to (23) with some cases tending to (13) or (15). 
Out of twenty-five women three were unmarried and four were barren, the remaining 
eighteen had borne seyenty-four children, of whom thirty-two had died. The eyes of 
women were notably spaced and in four cases were slightly oblique. The nose is 
rather wide, and of medium height between the eyes, with short and thick tip. The 

106 



Frederick Starr 



57 



lips are rather thick and the upper projects. The ears are round, of medium size and 
well-shaped; the border of the helix is thick and its upper part rolled-in. the lower 
part flat; the lobe is medium or large, attached, and — generally — rountl. 

The type of the Tzendnls, on the whole, presents considerable reseiiiblanci' to 
that of the Tzotzils, tlu-ir close neighbors, geographically and linguistically. Tlitir 
heads, though large, are slightly smaller than those of the Tzotzils; the inipnssiun 
made to the eye is considerably in favor of the latter. A greater variation in the 
Tzendals, in ten out of fourteen measurements, suggests that the Tzendals have niixi'd 
more with other tribes than the Tzotzils have — or, at least, that tlir ]i(Mipl(> of Tene- 
japa have mixed more than those of Chanuila. In both of the facial indices the 
Tzendals are superior; this greater face-breadth, associated with a slightly less cephalic 
index, is curious. The tribes are quite close together in sitting-height, which is rather 
large. Though the Tzendals are a little shorter, they have longer arms and n greater 
finger-reach than the Tzotzils. There is a greater diiference in shoulder-width than 
we should expect. 

TABLE XXXI. TZENDALS 





Men (100) \ Women (K) 




Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Mean 


Max. Min. 




1,557.1 

1,286.7 

547.3 

1,613.3 

a30.0 

.342.2 

187.7 

144.1 

173.0 

112.1 

140.8 

47.9 

39.9 

62.2 


1,722 

1,503 

&56 

1,827 

921 

.398 

202 

159 

196 

131 

156 

60 

50 

72 


I,4a3 


1.4.38.4 


1,548 1,-3.38 


Height of shoulder 

Tip of second tinker. . . . 
Finger reach 


1,153 1,175.2 
515 .521.3 

1,419 1,455.6 
7.38 772.0 


1,276 1,094 

.567 ; 457 

1,563 1,311 

824 ! 720 


Width of shoulders 

Length of liead 

Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (6) 


295 
164 
128 
154 

98 
127 

40 

a3 

52 


.318.3 
180.7 
1.37.0 
162.3 
101.8 
131.1 
42.2 
35.6 
57.7 


.352 
197 
144 
177 
111 
1.37 
48 
41 
64 


295 
171 
113 
153 
95 
126 




37 


Breadth of nose 


.32 
49 






Arm index 

Finger reach index 

Sitting height index 

Shoulder index 

Cephalic index 

Facial index (a| 

Facial index {b) 

Nasal index 


45.5 
103.4 
5;i.3 
21.9 
76.8 
81.6 
125.9 
83.8 


48.7 
109.3 
58.8 
24.2 
86'4 
94.5 
144.4 
102.2 


42.8 
97.7 
.50.7 
19.8 
68.0 
65.6 
104.9 
64.1 


45.3 
101.1 
53.6 
22.0 
75.9 
80.9 
129.0 
84.6 


51.2 43.0 
106.8 96.0 
56.0 50.9 
23.6 20.6 

82.4 66.4 

87.5 72.7 
141.0 117.1 

97.5 , 68.7 



THE CHOLS 

In stature, the Chols fall between their neighliors and linguistic relatives, the 
Tzotzils and Tzendals, in the list of little statures at l.~)'u.U — with 7o percent, of 
the subjects below l,()00mm. The arm index is moderate, but the tinger-reach index, 
103.8, is rather high. The cephalic index is far away from that of all linguistic rela- 

107 



58 



Physical Characters op Indians of Southern Mexico 




FIG. 30. CHOL: TUMH.VL.V. .ST.VTE OF CllI.M'.VS 



TABLE XXXII. CHOI.: 







Mex (1001 






Women (25) 






Mean 


Max. Min. 


Mean 


Max. 


Min. 


Stature 

Height of shoulder 

Tip of second linger. . . . 

Finger-reach 

Height, sitting 

Width of shoulders 

Length of head 

Breadth of head 

Height of face (a) 

Height of face (b) 

Breadth of face 

Height of nose 

Breadth of nose 


1.557.9 

1.288.4 

580.7 

1,614.0 

817.8 

346.7 

182.5 

147.5 

175.8 

113.2 

141.2 

48.8 

37.1 

60.4 


1,686 

1,423 

685 

1,775 

897 

391 

202 

159 

195 

128 

157 

58 

48 

70 


1,436 

1,184 

506 

1,289 

725 

289 

165 

134' 

155 

101 

128 

41 

31 

53 


1,413.2 

1,165.6 

523.1 

1,4.38.1 

748.1 

310.5 

177.1 

141.6 

166.2 

103.2 

130.2 

45.0 

.34.2 

58.4 


1,485 

1.247 

605 

1.538 

854 

343 

188 

153 

181 

114 

139 

50 

41 

69 


1,305 

1,067 

449 

1,356 

680 

289 

167 

128 

150 

92 

122 

40 

29 

51 






Arm index 

Finger-reach index 

Sitting-height index .... 


45.3 

103.8 

.52.4 

22.1 

80.8 

. 80.4 

124.9 

76.4 


48.4 
109.4 
55.9 
25.1 
95.7 
90.7 
140.5 
106.9 


40.8 
98.2 
48.6 
19.7 
72.4 
71.2 
108.8 
58.6 


45.4 
101.7 
52.8 
21.9 
80.0 
78.5 
126.5 
76.1 


53.5 
106.7 
64.1 
23.9 
90.0 
84.6 
139.5 
89.1 


41.7 
94.9 
46.4 
20.5 


Cephalic index 

Facial index (q) 

Facial index (b) 


73.5 
70.7 
111.5 
61.7 







108 



Fkedekick Stabb 59 



tives. Tlie t'undauieiitiil foloring is (23), darkening in individual cases to (23-13). 
These t\v(i shades tx'cur in two-thirds of the subjects, and no case varied far from theui. 
Tlierc were but three cases in which the hair showed any tendency to wavy or curly; 
there was no baldness, and only one case of gray and one of gray-s])rinkled hair. The 
beard on the ujjper cheeks is medium, on the lower cheeks none, on the ciiin siaii1\ : 
the moustache is of medium quantity and rarely attains to any length; shaving is 
quite general: Hve beards were more or less gray, and tw(j were of a brownish color. 
The eyes are dark bi'own and widely separated; while twenty-tive cases showed a slight 
obliquity, not one was truly mongoloid. There was one case of strabismus. The nose 
is quite largt- and prominent; it is aquiline, sometimes extremely so; its index is the 
lowest but one in the list; the line at the junction of the nose and the forehead varies 
from high to medium and from narrow to medium; when it becomes lower it also 
becomes wider; but there is no tendency to low, wide forms. The lips are of medium 
thickness or even thin, and project little or not at all. The ears are round and well 
formed, and stand fairly off from the head; the upi)er border of the helix is rolled 
inward, but o])ens downward and is flat in the lower part — it is everywhere thick: 
the lobe is of medium size and attached — varying in form from triangular to nnnid- 
triangular. 

The stature of the females is about itO per cent, of that of the mali's; their arm 
index is the same, l)ut their tinger-reach index is less. Their color is a little lighter 
at (28) and (23) to ( 15) ; it has more of a reddish tinge. Among our twenty-five 
women was an undue [jroportion of old women — showing three cases of gray hair. 
There were no unmarried women in our series. Twenty-four mothers had borne one 
hundred and two children, of whom tifty-nine had died. 



109 




hJECKMAN 

BINDERY INC 



nil QO 



